Internal Facades
by DD Agent
Summary: Four months after the events of Black Sunday, the LAPD is left in a mess. Will is in a battle for Chief, Major Crimes and FID are now fused. However, murders at UCLA give everyone focus, especially when the traumatised and retired Flynn and Raydor return to hunt an old foe. Everyone has tried to exorcise their demons, and now they face them together once more.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own _The Closer _or any of its characters, or its settings. The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT.

**Chapter One**

_LA Times, 14__th__ June 2010_

_Today the Los Angeles Police Department move into their new building at 100 West Street, a multimillion dollar complex that is state of the art. It is hoped that with this new building, the officers will be able to better prevent the crime waves that fluctuate in the Californian city. _

_It's not only a new building that the LAPD are going to get, but they will also soon be having a new Chief to lead them; after the retirement of Wendell Berrill in March. The forerunners of the race are thought to be the two Assistant Chief's of the LAPD, the Director of Support Services, Julian Brody and the Director of Operations, Will Pope. _

_Julian Brody is a veteran of the LAPD, having grown up in the Valley. He rose from the Academy and worked in Vice and the Gang Unit before moving into office based fields. He has thrived in the new base of operations, proclaiming it a "triumph for the LAPD". _

_Will Pope hails from Michigan, and has worked for the LAPD for twelve years. Before then, he worked as Assistant Chief in Washington DC. As Assistant Chief he has helped several community projects, making the police more accessible to the public. He calls the new building "the future of policing."_

_However, despite these warm and positive words, it has not all been positive in the LAPD. As the Times revealed two years ago, Pope's creation of then "Priority Homicide" was not working to fully suit the needs of the ordinary person. Despite the revamp of "Major Crimes", there has still not been the success one hoped from that division. _

_But it is not only Pope who has had his failures at the LAPD. In 2001, Wendell Berrill created Force Investigation Division, the first of its kind to investigate LAPD officers who are at fault of unlawful use of force. In 2007, after several years working with FID, Captain Sharon Raydor was placed in charge. She heralded several convictions of crooked cops, and worked with an expert legal team to make sure the public felt safe. Although not all the police officers working in the LAPD liked the new system, it was certainly a triumph and greatly admired by the public. However, all the good work FID had generated fell apart in the February of this year as the previously celebrated Captain was brutally attacked by one of her own officers, a fact not publicised by the LAPD. _

_Time will tell who a select group, including the Mayor, decide to run the LAPD. It will be an interesting race with several strong characters and where the officer loyalty lies will no doubt be the final nail in the coffin. _

X

"You get your application in?"

Will looked up from his breakfast to see his son watching him. Tommy was dressed in casual clothes, ready for another day job searching in LA. He already had two jobs - working as a part time mechanic for one of Sharon's friends, and babysitting Caitlin and Brendan when Will had to put in the hours. Which was growing less and less, he now had full weekends to spend with his kids which he loved.

He frowned at his son and reached across for another slice of toast. "Yeah, about a month ago."

"Don't seem very enthusiastic."

Will sighed, not sure how to explain himself. It was complicated, but ever since Sharon left he had been trying to concentrate more on his children than anything else. No dates, no women, no sex and he had never been happier. He went home at a reasonable hour unless something was going on, and he and Tommy cooked Brendan and Caitlin dinner. Last weekend they had all driven up to Disney Land. Will was trying to work out if Chief was something he wanted. If he could stay as Assistant Chief, take care of all three of his kids then he would be happy. However, things had grown worse between him and Julian Brody and Will had come to the conclusion that unless he was made Chief, he would be out of a job.

"It'll all work out, I'm sure." Will finished his breakfast and fiddled with his son's collar, much to his amusement. They had never had that father and son moment, fiddling with collars before baseball games, senior proms. Will sighed sadly - at least they had a chance to get to do that now. "I've got meetings until two today, and then we're both going together to see Caitlin's teacher. Don't be late. Got your bus pass?"

Tommy pulled it out of his pocket. "Yeah I have. I'm going to swing by UCLA on my way home, if that's okay."

Will's response was stopped as Caitlin and Brendan, ready to start their last week at school, bounded down the stairs. He did a spot check of their lunches and their books and pointed them to the car. He squeezed Tommy's shoulder and found his briefcase. Uniform today, when he looked in the mirror he could see only that. No man at all.

"Don't sneak into the criminology lectures again."

"They don't know anything. They don't even know what transferred intent is," Tommy grinned. Will shook his head, once again making a mental note to never bring home any case files.

As the two men said goodbye, and Will got in the driver's seat of the car to take his kids to their school, he thought about how much his son had grown up over the past year. Last summer he had welcomed a sullen teenager into his home, ready to start his first year at Harvard and completely cut ties with his father. His faux suicide attempt and what happened with Sharon had made him grow up extraordinarily, and now, having turned nineteen, Tommy was interested in the way of the police force, and was finally becoming part of a family. Things were finally calm in his life; he only wished he had Sharon to share it with.

X

Brenda Leigh Johnson was looking at an empty desk, and wondered whether she could stop anyone from sitting in it. They were moving into the new building today - all last week they had spent packing up everything in between the case they had been working on. Provenza had bought his desk at police auction, meaning that had come with them from Parker Centre. Brenda continued to walk around, seeing what people had brought.

Tao had brought discs and pictures of his family. She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out the alcohol he gave to the lab techs to speed their results along. Provenza's desk was an exact replica. Gabriel's desk was pretty bare, all business like. Sanchez had photos of his family, but that was about it. Moving over to the side, she looked at the desk of the former FID team members who had joined her team after Brody had disbanded the department. Tony had pictures of family, and one of the team: just the three of them. She could see from jagged edges that some part of it had been cut, most likely the part that had held Jimmy Beatie. Claudia had cigarettes, more family, and a drawer with a tennis ball, two random keys and a horror film buried underneath paperwork. Simon had magazines, pictures of him and Claudia and a little snow globe.

There was one desk, directly opposite hers that she hadn't let anyone take. She moved the seat out and sat down. It was cold. She placed her handbag on the desk and pulled out her small purse. Out of the back, she pulled a ring and placed it down on the table. Provenza had given it to her after he had seen Flynn for the last time, fearing he would lose it. Everyone else seemed to take the departure of Flynn and Raydor in their stride. She hadn't talked about it with anyone else, but the only person who seemed to think Flynn was coming back was her. Even Provenza had stopped leaving things on his desk.

"Sorry Chief, we finished the new tour but everyone is in the break room. I can come back if you want."

Brenda looked up to see Tony Williams, Sharon Raydor's former second in command. He was looking at her sadly. "It's fine Lieutenant. Just mulling on ghosts. Shouldn't really have ghosts, it's a new building."

Tony pulled his chair over to join her. "Only the ones we bring with us." He looked at the lone ring sitting on the desk; he recognised it as Flynn's. "I don't talk about it with Simon and Claudia, I think they're trying to move on but it's hard. This new building will help. But every time my phone rings or my doorbell goes, I'm hoping it's the Captain. I've kept her name plate, just in case."

She nodded, looking at the ring in front of them and remembering seeing the thin piece of paper on her desk. Andy Flynn's resignation letter. She could feel tears starting to fall, but Tony already had a handkerchief ready for her. "You know, I am so happy that you three are here. Bit of laughter, it feels odd without having "Flynn and Provenza"."

Tony smiled before standing up, hearing people start to move outside. The new hybrid team was coming back to their new office. Brenda joined him, but remembered to pick up Andy's ring from the table. He wondered, for a moment, whether she would put it on her own hand. But she just slipped it in her purse.

"You know the best thing about being here, Chief, is that there is a really nice sweet shop just a road over. I'll give you directions when we have a free minute."

As the new and improved Major Crimes rolled into their new office, Brenda tried to smile. Everyone took their seats, talking about the new building. There was still an empty desk that Provenza eyed wearingly, but didn't say anything about. She gave a weak smile before moving into her new office and closing all the blinds.

X

He had always liked the roof of Parker Centre; it was a good way to look out over the city. The new building certainly had its benefits too, and the sight from the roof was one of them. Sighing to himself, he was taking a quick lunch break up there to just get away from everything. The new building was spectacular, and he knew that Sharon had never stepped foot in it. He didn't have to see her face, or them kissing in his office. But everything felt cold, harsh. Like a morgue.

"Thought you'd be giving a press conference with Assistant Chief Asshole down there," Brenda announced, taking off her heels to stand next to Will on the roof. She had gone to find him in his office, but his secretary had told her he was up here. Down below, they watched as Julian Brody talked about the new building, and laughed with the reporters.

"Do you think if we threw a dime on his head we'd get him?"

"Certainly kill him."

Brenda watched as Will pretended to mull it over. He noticed the heaving box by her feet. "What, did you bring your entire house to work with you?"

She shook her head, and Will noticed she was blushing. She just managed to lift it and pulled open the lid. Will didn't think he had ever seen so much candy in his entire life, at least not that wasn't in a shop of some kind. Will stuck his hand in and pulled out some Reese's cups before Brenda put the lid back on it. He handed one to her and they continued to watch Brody.

"So, how are things with you and Fritz?" Will asked, pretending as if he cared. He loved Brenda, considered her a close friend but he still didn't like her husband, and knew the feeling was mutual. It had become worse over the last few months as Brenda, perhaps feeling guilty for the way she had treated Sharon and FID, had begun to spend more time with Will and his family to keep his mind off of things.

Brenda wrinkled her nose. "Fine, I suppose. We've got therapy after work tomorrow."

"Therapy?"

"Couples counselling. The therapist _loves _Fritz, she has problems with me."

"Yeah, putting work ahead of your family is usually seen as such a positive thing." He noticed the look that Brenda gave him, and the slap to his arm. "Yeah I know I was the worst, but losing Sharon and nearly losing Tommy made me revaluate some things."

"You're not going to let Brody win, are you Will?"

He finished his last cup and took a drink of the coffee by his feet. "No, I'm not Brenda. I can't, I made a promise to Sharon that I was going to try for Chief, and I damn well am. Unfortunately, Brody has the support. The two people that I really trust - trusted - were not exactly popular with the rest of the force."

Brenda nodded, and decided that helping Will could extend further than just occasional dinners and going to see random films at the cinema. "Leave it to me Will, I'll drum up support for you, I promise." She thought about Tony, and wondered who he knew. He was certainly becoming an ally. "What have they done about FID?"

"Nothing yet, will be the new Chief's jurisdiction. Right, talking about that I have another meeting. Want me to carry your candy box down?"

"I'm good, Will, thank you."

As Will gathered his belongings Brenda kissed him on the cheek and watched as he headed off of the roof. Below, Brenda saw Brody making his way back inside. She took one of the melted chocolate bars and threw it down over the roof. She licked her fingers clean as Brody examined the gunk on his suit in distaste.

X

The meeting had run on longer than expected, but eventually Will had picked up Tommy and they had headed to the school. Will sat in the waiting room nervously, running through the day's events in his head. Moving was always stressful, and moving the entire LAPD was turning out to be a nightmare. Everyone had issues, everyone had gripes. Only Tommy gripping his wrist brought him back to the world of the sane. He hadn't found any new jobs, but he had done some hours at the garage and had a little oil on his cuff. Brendan and Caitlin were playing in the grounds with an afterschool club, oblivious to the little meeting. They were here to meet Caitlin's teacher, and Will was all over the place.

"It'll be fine, don't worry."

Tommy was right. Caitlin's teacher came out, and Will smiled. Anna Bradley was very pretty, a little quiet but with eyes that missed nothing. Tommy also grinned at her, but noted that the short skirt and low cut blouse were more for his father's benefit than his. Tommy appraised her - she was younger than Sharon, probably didn't carry any baggage and there was no ring on her finger. But Tommy could see where it would lead as it had done countless times before - inevitable divorce as the long hours put strain on the relationship. Talking to cop friends of his Dad's and his father's own background told him that a job on the police force didn't come without its downsides.

"Would you like to come in?"

The classroom was a little bare, but it was the end of the school year. Caitlin would be moving up grades, and usually the teachers offered a parents evening a little earlier in the last term. However, Will had missed it due to a killer stalking shop keepers and Brenda's budget requests. Miss Bradley offered them both seats and some water, but Will declined.

"Mr Pope, it's finally a pleasure to meet you." Will didn't miss the vaguely disguised sarcasm in her voice. Work came first, or it had done. Even then, he had been more concerned with Brendan's bullying; he hadn't thought there was anything wrong with his daughter.

"Same here. So what did you want to see us about?"

Bradley shifted closer and Tommy smiled at the amount of cleavage on show. "Now I know I'm not Caitlin's teacher anymore, but I want to make you aware of the change in her over the last few months. She's been quiet, withdrawn and she's been sitting on her own a lot of the time. I thought she might be missing her mother, she was like that when she first started but she said that wasn't what it was about."

Will nodded, he had noticed that both his children had become a little quiet over the last months but then so had Tommy and himself. All of the Pope's were feeling the loss of Sharon Raydor. "I was dating someone the kids really liked, but it ended, sadly."

"So you're single now?"

Tommy had to stop his smile, and Will jogged his elbow. This was serious; he didn't need Tommy making suggestive ideas. Although Will wasn't blind, and he knew when a woman was dressed to flirt. It had happened a few times in the playground - a single, handsome guy with kids was a draw to single mothers. But Will, after seeing the damage done to Tommy, had always been reluctant to get kids involved. If he had been his old self, Anna Bradley was just his type.

"I'll talk to her. I didn't realise she had been that upset, thank you for bringing this to my attention."

On the ride home, Will ignored all of Tommy's suggestions that Anna Bradley was into him. He was more concerned about his two younger children. All he had told them was that Sharon had left because of work, nothing more. Now he wondered how much to tell them and what would make them upset. Hell, just thinking about what happened made _him_ upset.

He was inside, making a cup of coffee when he heard Tommy with his siblings. Will went upstairs to see what was going on in Caitlin's bedroom and found the two young ones on the bed and Tommy kneeling on the floor.

"Miss Bradley said you were upset at school. What's up Caitlin?" Tommy asked gently, trying to get an answer. Will had wondered who she would open up to more - even Brendan had started becoming closer to his big brother now he had calmed his ways.

Both of the children looked sad, and Will could see his own face in the mirror splayed out on his sons - a feeling of sadness and uncertainty about what had happened. Eventually Brendan spoke. "Did Sharon leave because of us?"

Will's heart sank. He heard Tommy ask why, but he already knew, should have realised. When Estelle had left him, they had done the usual thing with the kids. Mommy and Daddy love you very much, it's nothing to do with you why we're not together, we just don't love each other as much anymore. However, all that had been a crock as Estelle had gone off to San Francisco with her new husband, barely seeing the kids. No wonder they had been so upset when Sharon had left.

"Mommy's new husband didn't want us, so she left."

Not for the first time, Tommy cursed Estelle. Both children looked so upset, and Will couldn't bear it any longer. He moved into the room and sat on the bed next to Caitlin, where both of them started to hug him. He kissed Caitlin's head and held them close, reaching out for his son's hand to grip. It was just them now, no one else. He had to tell them the truth now.

"Sharon didn't leave because of you at all. She left because one of her officers hurt her, nearly killed her and she couldn't…" Will struggled to put it all into words. "She needed some time by herself; she couldn't cope with what that officer had done. He had been a friend of hers, and he had betrayed her."

Caitlin buried her head into her father's shoulder. He held her, rocking her gently on his knee. "So is she going to come back? She's okay, right?" He could hear the tiny thread of hope in her voice, and could hear Brendan's head stir on his shoulder.

Will knew he couldn't deal in maybes, couldn't promise and then not deliver. As he thought the words through in his head, he realised he had to accept them too. "Sharon's okay, she's much better. But, no, she's not coming back. She's got a new life now, and so do we. As much as it hurts, this is how it is and we'll have to deal with it. It's best for everyone, even though it's tough."

The children nodded, and then held their father for a little while longer. Eventually, they left and went to play with their toys. Will retreated to his office, and after a while Tommy came to see him. He was looking at one of the rare pictures of him and Sharon. Tommy passed him a cup of coffee and Will took it gratefully.

"She's gone, Tommy, and I don't know what to do. I'm cried, I've hit things. But she's gone, I realise that now."

Tommy left his father alone, before bringing up the last tub of Ben and Jerry's they had in the freezer. It was _Phish Food_, and he didn't understand why he could hear soft laughter followed by a couple of choking sobs. He decided to leave him be, and put his two siblings to bed. Sleep came late, but eventually it did. He didn't see his father watch him sleep and smile.

X

It was getting late and Brenda was still in the office. She couldn't go home to Fritz, not yet. As she looked out of her office window, she saw that there was a light on at the spare desk. Gone were the days that she would work late, struggling for one more lead and she would see Andy Flynn sitting in his place, feeling exactly what she was feeling. Gone were the days of "Get Stroh" signs on department aims - Brenda had binned that sign last week, finally resigning herself to that going down to the cold case department.

"I'm going home, Chief," Tony announced, leaning out of her doorframe.

She may have hated the FID team, loathed their practices but working in Major Crimes the three Detectives had been a god send. They each had different ways of working - Tony was more out of the box thinking, but still methodical. Simon and Claudia bounced ideas off of each other, and even surpassed Flynn and Provenza for getting into trouble. They had gelled well with her boys - and after all why wouldn't they? They all had something in common, the grief of losing a team member.

Tony was the most noticeable after all this time, but at least he had a distraction to help him through.

He had thrown himself into his family life while Brenda had no such thing - Fritz was working more hours and with Kitty gone the house was empty. Nothing to distract her other than dead bodies. Then she reflected back on her conversation earlier with Will. She wanted him to be Chief, not that idiot Brody who was no doubt dousing his suit in club soda. She had decided to help him out by getting him support, and it may be the distraction she needed.

"Tony, who do you want to be Chief?" Brenda asked, out of the blue. Tony looked at her for all of a second before replying.

"Definitely Pope. Even before the whole thing with Brody, I still would have picked him. I mean, I know he had his faults but in the last year he grew. He's a good guy - pity he doesn't have much support."

Will didn't have the support he needed to be Chief - Brody had Central and Narcotics and probably Vice in his pocket. She ran through in her mind who would want to support Will. Maybe Traffic, some of the smaller divisions would help him and the Gang Unit certainly supported him. Taylor probably would, he and the rest of the Robbery/Homicide boys had joined their fractured alliance, after all two of their former colleagues in Raydor and Flynn had gone.

"If you got some Deputy Chief's on his side, that would help," Tony commented, rummaging in his pockets for his car keys. "Hey, Chief - you got a Ding Dong? I'm starving."

Brenda reached into her drawer before tossing Tony a chocolate. She thought about his suggestion. There were ten Deputy Chief's in the department including her, and Brenda couldn't immediately think of anyone who would help her out. He gave a small wave as he headed out and headed home. Deciding she might as well as go home too, she packed up her desk.

LAPD HQ was quiet. As Brenda moved through, she saw a light at the end of a corridor. Looking at the plate next to it, she discovered it was the home of Internal Affairs. Moving down the corridor, Brenda realised the light was coming from the empty offices of FID. She pushed open the door and was greeted by the emptiness. Standing against a wall was a figure, and upon closer inspection, Brenda realised that the tall figure was Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell. She had never had much to do with him, the head of Internal Affairs. But they knew each other by reputation.

He saw her and gave her a faint smile. "Whole place is empty. Never used."

It was an amazing office, and no doubt the FID team would be able to figure out the whiteboards, the monitors. People were squabbling for space in the new building, all clean and brand new. They already had a graveyard right in the middle. No wonder there were ghosts. As Brenda looked around, she spotted a metal plate lingering on an empty desk. She moved over and examined it; it was the same shape and size as the introductory plate for Internal Affairs. It was a memorial plate for the officers of the department who had died. Down the bottom was Sharon Raydor's name.

"You know she's not dead," Brenda stated and Mitchell nodded, his eyes sad. It had never occurred to her that the people in IA were close, but they must be considering the rest of the LAPD hated them. She hadn't realised others might be missing Raydor just as much as the three lieutenants in her office.

"I know, but she might as well be. We'd still have lost both of them, and probably Will as well. He loved her, you know. I've known Sharon Raydor for over six years, and I'd never seen her so happy." Mitchell joined her at the plaque, his meagre smile fading away. "You know Brody won't let me put this up? I haven't asked Will…I don't think reminding him is a good idea."

"Brody. Every time I hear that name I want to hit something."

"He ended up with some crap on his suit today. Was rather amusing."

Brenda smiled. "I wondered where that chocolate had gone."

Mitchell laughed, and beckoned Brenda into the empty adjoining office. No one sat in the empty chairs, instead they both stood. Mitchell stuck his hands in his pockets. A complete ghost town, the bare lights giving an eerie feel to the place. It had only been a few days before when Brenda had stood in the empty offices of Major Crimes in Parker Centre and felt the exact same way.

"I am so proud of this department - so proud. And Sharon Raydor was an incredible officer, despite all the crap that's been thrown at her. Brody has started building a new team, but thankfully I will get final approval. And it's not coming for a while."

"She's not coming back."

Mitchell turned around and smiled at her. "You think Andy Flynn is going to return? You're saving a desk for a man who is gone, who will never step foot back here. I don't see how this is any different."

Brenda agreed it was not. "Who told you about the desk?"

"No one. On the tour I looked in and saw the lone desk, empty like a tomb. Like this place."

She kept looking at the office and realised the cold, hard truth. They had all thought that moving from Parker Centre would be a good thing that they could leave their ghosts behind. What they hadn't realised was that they had brought them all with them, to hold up in the halls. Not the ghost of what had been, something infinitely more dangerous. The ghost of what _could _have been. Will and Sharon as a couple, known to all and happy for it. Andy Flynn by her side, solving crimes. FID here, working to keep the integrity and the honour of the LAPD intact. All dust, and fantasies folded away.

"I have a theory that Brody was involved with Webster, but I can't prove it. Will's a good man, a good officer but I don't think he truly wants to be Chief, not anymore."

Brenda rested her hand on Stephen's arm. "He needs support. And unfortunately no one here much likes me."

"You think they like me? I'm the Chief Inspector; I'm the devil, Chief Johnson." He chuckled. "It's strange how you and Sharon never became friends." Mitchell grinned before giving Brenda his hand. "I'm Team Pope. Give my assistant a ring later this week and we can discuss our plans. I know if Will is Chief, he'll do right by this department. And that's good enough for me."

Brenda smiled and squeezed his arm before moving outwards. As she got out of the building and faced the three block walk back, she noticed a figure sitting on the benches. She almost thought it was Flynn but then she realised it was Tony, sitting alone. He gave her a final wave as he walked to his car, he must have known that she would find Mitchell. Psychic - almost like Andy Flynn could be sometimes in knowing exactly how she was feeling. She dug around inside her purse until she found Andy's ring. She wasn't ready to give it up. She took off the chain she wore, and slipped it down.

Andy Flynn had been the reminder in her life to keep it straight, that sometimes you had to let things go and sometimes cling on. She had finally let go of Stroh, not wanting to bring that ghost with her. But there was one thing she wasn't ready to let go of just yet.

She walked to her car.

X

Another day, another case. Another lunch time spent eating at the desk he should have had, in the new FID offices. Claudia and Simon didn't come down here; they called it a ghost town. But Tony liked it, even if it was a little morbid. Like leaving a flower by the edge of the plaque, which he had done again. He had not expected his wife to understand, but she did. The power of a team was very strong.

He had just finished his sandwiches when the phone in the office started to ring. Sighing, he decided to pick it up. It was probably Claudia or Simon asking for help in the new and improved, dust free cold case department. Which was, ironically, the hottest room in the building.

"Hello?" Tony greeted, picking up the phone from the office that should have belonged to Sharon Raydor. He didn't like being in here, he couldn't feel anything from the room and it made him sad. No posters of New York, no warmth that he got from her. Just an empty room.

"Hi Tony." A pause, a little sigh of happiness. "They let you take over? Good choice. I bet you're doing great."

Tony didn't need to struggle to figure out the voice, but his brain wasn't registering the information. After what he had told the Chief the other night, he couldn't imagine that what he had been hoping for the past four months was coming true. But it was. "Hey Captain."

He could hear faint city sounds in the background, but he didn't press her for any information. He knew she wouldn't tell him anything, she hadn't told anyone where she had gone to. "Hey yourself. So - you all okay? Honestly?"

He could tell her a million things. About Brody, about how they and Major Crimes had wrapped up the Webster case and he was now behind bars for a very long time. How Simon and Claudia had moved in together, how they were now working with the Chief and her team. But he couldn't seem to voice any of that. "We're all okay, we're not…" He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her the truth and let her know how everything was broken. "We're all good. Don't miss you at all."

He heard Sharon Raydor chuckle on the other end of the phone. It was a sound he had never thought he would hear again, and he gripped the chair as anger ripped through him. They had been a family, and Jimmy had smashed that to pieces. Everything had been perfect, and now it was just life. "Good, because I don't miss you either."

"Tony?" cried a voice from outside which Tony decided was definitely Deputy Chief Mitchell. He asked her to hold on, while he waited to see what he wanted. After helping decide on screws, Tony raced back to the office, hoping to talk to her again. But the dial tone rang heavily in his ear.

"You okay Tony?" Mitchell asked, coming into the office and noting that he was having lunch here for the third day in a row. He didn't want to have a conversation with Tony about it, not when he was feeling the exact same way.

"Yeah I'm good. I'm okay."

That afternoon, ignoring Brody's objections, Tony and Mitchell screwed in the plaque. Tony put the flower from earlier in front of it, smiling to himself. He couldn't have lunch by the desk he would have had forever, the Chief couldn't save Flynn's desk until everything was all change. He had to finally do right by his team, his family - what was left of it. Before Mitchell went away, he asked about the chance that he could lead FID. Legacy - it was all about legacy and preserving what had gone before.

Will walked past the plaque later on that afternoon. He traced the letting with his finger, and smiled sadly as he thought about the last time he had seen Sharon, on his steps. Her words about a mourning period, about moving on. She hadn't wanted him to grieve for her; she had spent a lot of time doing that with her father and knew what a waste of a life it was. When he got back to his office, he found Anna Bradley's number and called her to thank her again for help with Caitlin. The last stage of grief - acceptance and moving forward.

Time to move forward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_LAPD ONLINE_

_Captain Sharon Raydor_

_Sharon Raydor was born in 1961 in New York City. She moved to Los Angeles in 1963 with her father, fellow LAPD officer Michael Raydor where she enjoyed a period as LAPD's mascot and good luck charm. They moved back to New York in 1974 after Michael left the LAPD to be close to his ailing mother. After getting a degree in linguistics at NYU, Sharon joined the LAPD, following her father's footsteps in 1988. _

_A valued younger officer with a specialism in making people talk, Sharon soon moved from Central Division to the Gang Unit in 1991. She moved up to the rank of Sergeant the following year after the arrest of big time LA gangster Angel Vasari. She soon moved to Robbery/Homicide and was assigned the case of the UCLA killer in 1998, ten years after her premiere in the LAPD. She made Lieutenant after her hard work and dedication on the case, despite not getting a conviction. _

_In 2001, Chief Wendell Berrill created FID and Sharon Raydor was seconded from Robbery/Homicide to join the new department. In 2006 she made Captain, and the following year was granted her own department, taking over from now Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell as head of FID. She enjoyed a close relationship with Mitchell and was a valued member of Internal Affairs. _

_In 2010, Sharon and her department took over the case of Jake Webster, an officer disowned by the LAPD after his serious and violent use of force. During his escape from prison, Sharon was assaulted and seriously harmed. She survived, and deciding to move abroad and enjoy the sights, Sharon Raydor retired from the LAPD in the February of this year. _

_Lieutenant Andy Flynn_

_Andy Flynn was born in 1954 in New York State, coming from a big family. After the death of his father, Andy moved to Los Angeles and joined the LAPD. Senior officers immediately liked Andy's no nonsense attitude and vibrancy for the job, and officers were lining up to have him join their departments. _

_In 1976, Andy moved from Central Division and into the growing Hollywood Division where producers and leading men alike hated his reluctance to pander to them. His greatest work in Hollywood Division was being the lead on arresting director Roman Thomson for prostitution. Two years after his premiere into the world of the stars, Andy married rising starlet Clare Benjamin after saving her life while on a case. Sadly, Andy was married to his job and the two later divorced. _

_His successes continued into the Vice Unit and then onto Robbery/Homicide in 1988. His work and arrest of four time serial killer Benjamin Hook led to his rank of Sergeant, and his arrest record continued to be of high quality. In 1994 he married Amy Donald, and he became one of the well known names of the LAPD. Sadly he and Amy grew apart, leading Andy to throw himself into his work even more. This enthusiasm grew stronger when, in 1998, Andy worked the UCLA killer case, a case that affected everyone across the board. Andy made Lieutenant in 2002. _

_In 2005, Andy joined the new Priority Homicide Division, later becoming Major Crimes. He was a valued member, his insights and straightforward approach very welcome. In 2010, Andy Flynn retired after saving the life of an officer in jeopardy. He returned back east to spend time with family and friends. _

X

"So…how's the insomnia?"

Sharon Raydor looked at the doctor, not sure what to say. She always hated her weekly trip to the doctor, a requirement of her psychologist. She didn't like them, felt that they were interfering with her life, poking and prodding. But the pills she had been on when she had left LA were still needed, as she was still getting stomach pains. Therefore regular medical attention was required. Thankfully, she didn't have to pay extortionate doctors bills; the cost of her medication was just about doable.

"It's getting a little better, but I'm still not sleeping," Sharon admitted. She hadn't been since she had awaken from her coma four months before. It beat the nightmares, dreams of Jimmy joining Sam to haunt her twilight hours. But the sleeplessness made her miss Will Pope even more. His arms, his voice, the way he could keep her demons at bay. By moving across the ocean, she had succeeded in giving herself the space to think, and unfortunately it also made her miss him more and more.

The doctor shone a light into her eyes. "How's the residual pain?"

"Getting a little better." The first time the doctor had given her a full physical, she had almost passed out. Sharon had a network of scars on her back from the continual beatings of her now, thankfully, ex husband. That and the cigarette burns on her arms had not made a pretty picture. Jimmy, her deranged former officer, had added two more to her, two knife wounds to the stomach.

"Any other problems?"

Sharon smiled. "Got anything for home sickness?"

The doctor didn't laugh, but Sharon didn't expect her to. She was very sullen. She almost wondered what Simon and Claudia would do to her to make her laugh and the thought made her smile wistfully.

Sharon couldn't wait to get out of the doctor's office and into work. Thanks to the recession there were a limited number of jobs on offer, but she had found something. She had eventually got a job at a struggling ice cream parlour, dealing with some issues from local youths. Her ex-cop status came in very handy - they were just kids making trouble. Due to the lack of trouble they were getting, their intake had gone up considerably.

"Morning Sharon!"

She pulled on her apron, ready to serve. "Morning!"

It was funny how her life had seemed to come full circle. While married to Sam, she had worked in a sandwich shop to give them some extra - and legal - money. She had dealt with the whispers from the staff, wondering why she let her husband beat her. Now she had the exact same thing, but they were wondering what could have led a successful American cop over the pond to serve ice cream all day.

Another day, another set of customers. Sharon brought them their ice cream and desserts and then did it all again. It was later when Heather came in. Doctor Heather Clark was an old friend of Sharon's - they had gone to NYU together. She was now a psychologist helping trauma victims, and she had been quite happy to help Sharon. They met up a few times a week to discuss how she was doing. As soon as she came in, Sharon brought Heather her traditional ice cream sundae and took her break, waiting for the "chat".

"I called Tony yesterday," Sharon admitted, fiddling with the edge of her napkin. She had been wondering about her team for a while, constantly feeling guilty that she had left them and gone on her own path. So she had checked and dialled the new number, waiting to hear. They sounded okay, and she would have liked to ask Tony about his family, but then he went off to see someone. Sharon couldn't talk to Will, and although she didn't know if that was who Tony had gone off to talk to, she couldn't take that risk. So she had hung up.

Heather didn't look surprised, just licked the end of her flake. "How are they?"

"Okay, I guess."

The Doctor smiled and passed Sharon another spoon. She was grateful; she rarely got a chance to enjoy the ice cream they sold as she usually closed up when the owner had to pick up her children from school. It was nice to just unwind.

"Any chance that you're upset that they're not as affected by your leaving as you are?"

"Bullshit, I'm happy they're okay."

They continued eating the ice cream in silence, until Sharon spoke up. "I'm still not sleeping. I try, but I start to shake and I just can't do it."

Heather took a scoopful of whipped cream into her mouth. "I think you need to take up drinking." She paused for a moment, thinking things over and Sharon frowned. Here it came. "You called Tony, not Will Pope? Interesting. You think about him much?"

Every single minute of every single day, and Caitlin and Brendan and Tommy too. "A little."

The psychologist looked as if she didn't believe her, and who could blame her. Even she didn't believe herself. Heather toyed with a spoonful of ice cream before turning to look at her friend. "Sharon, why are you honestly here? If you love the man, which you obviously do, and you miss your team, which you obviously do, why are you working at an ice cream parlour in London instead of solving crimes in LA? At least the weather would be better."

Sharon sighed. She had been asking herself the exact same questions, but every time she thought about it, the waking state and the pain in her stomach started again. Jimmy was waiting for her over there. "I need a reason to go back, something bigger than all the pain that's there waiting for me."

"You're not looking for a reason, Sharon; you're trying to find an excuse so you can go back and stop haunting yourself. You can't let yourself be happy, because if the universe fucks you around - which it does most of the time - you run, and you hide, and you live like shit because you think that's how things will get better for you. You need to realise you deserve a happy ending like everyone else."

"Sometimes I really hate you," Sharon announced, stealing a spoonful of ice cream.

"That's fine; I don't want to be liked. I want to be _feared_."

The two laughed and continued to talk about Heather's husband and her kids, who were finishing up their A Levels and preparing to start University in September. Eventually her break was over and Heather left, and things went back to walking through the motions.

In a rare quiet moment, Sharon pulled out the mobile phone she kept in her pocket. She had a new one; the old one had broken as soon as she had got into the UK. She flicked through the numbers and saw Heathers, the doctor's surgery, the ice cream parlour. The one at the bottom was Will's new office number, the only number she knew to be accurate. Her finger hesitated over the call button before she put it back in her pocket and went back to work.

X

Retirement had its perks. He wondered why Provenza had never done it before.

Andy Flynn's days were fairly simple, but he liked them like that. He would wake up, shower and get dressed before heading to see Lana at work. He'd then join some of his friends in the park, where they would toss a ball or shoot a few hoops before ending up in a bar drinking water. He'd then go to an AA meeting at the local community centre before going back to Lana's place to hang out. It was an easy life, not stressful, and he enjoyed it.

He knew after handing in his resignation, he couldn't stay in LA. The Chief would try and talk him out of things, let alone what Provenza would do. So he moved back to New Jersey where his old New York friends had gone, including his sister Cindy. He knew as soon as he stepped foot in the state, smelling of cheap airplane whisky that something would have to be done. So he had gone and saw his brother Max, a guy so straight in his living that you would almost forget that he was an ex con. Together, as a family, they had cleaned him up and now Andy went to AA meetings every day, just to compensate. He didn't want to slip into bad habits.

"Morning babe," Andy announced as he came into the hair salon to see Lana. Lana grinned and kissed him on the cheek as she finished up with her current customer's hair.

Lana was a friend of Cindy's, a few years younger than both of him. She had been invaluable when Cindy's husband [her third] was beating her up and neither Max nor Andy were available to beat the crap out of him. She was beautiful, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was slight, but stunning. She had a little Texan tilt to her accent, but it was mixed with her New Jersey heritage. She loved baseball, she loved being around him and she tasted like sugar.

"Hey honey. You okay, you look a little peaky."

The reason for his paleness was that, despite his better judgement, he had gone on the LAPD website to check how Major Crimes was. They seemed okay; they had a list of open cases and a longer list of closed ones. It was then that he saw a new picture of the Chief, and she looked great. Arguing with what looked like Belluci and Stoker at a crime scene, but that was nothing new. Major Crimes was always arguing with FID.

What got him was how much he missed her. And looking at Lana, he realised that they were quite similar. Of course Lana was easy going and liked chocolate like a normal woman, not like a maniac. But, for the first time since he had stepped off that plane, Andy Flynn missed home.

"You coming over to mine later baby?" Lana asked, and Andy nodded. Lana lived by herself in a cheap apartment she had done up quite nicely. He rented a house, living off his meagre savings and praising the cheap rentals in New Jersey compared to Los Angeles. It was sparsely decorated, so he liked spending time around hers.

"Sure thing babe. I'll bring some dessert. Apple pie okay?"

She grinned as she started to rinse the woman's hair. "Gotta love an American classic."

After talking briefly with Lana and some more of the salon's patrons, Andy decided to head out. He had nothing planned for the rest of the day until his AA meeting, so he decided to go a little way across town and visit his sister. He had never really got on with Cindy as a child, she had always been too demanding, too self involved. And then she had got herself pregnant, and she had become even more so. When their father had killed himself, Andy had run to LA, determined to get as far away from his family as possible. Once he had settled himself, Andy had come back on occasion to see how his family were getting on. He didn't go back home nearly enough to be 'Uncle Andy', so the kids just called him Flynn, a friend of their mother's. Of course they were all grown up now, hardly wanting to call him anything. But Andy liked their distanced relationship; it meant he didn't have to spend time with his sister.

As he got close to her street, Andy could see his sister outside her house talking to two uniformed officers. He pulled up and got out of his car and ran over to see Cindy standing by herself. Obviously the new boyfriend hadn't lasted, but that was no surprise. Cindy ran through boyfriends like Andy ran through toothpicks.

"Hey, what's up?"

Cindy looked almost embarrassed to see her big brother standing there. Their relationship wasn't conventional, and although neither of them denied they were related, any attempt in the last few months to try and be a brother had been thwarted by Cindy. Old wounds ran deep. The two police officers weren't forthcoming with information, so Cindy volunteered it.

"Jason, the new boyfriend broke into my house last night and wrote crap all over my mirror. He then stole my underwear. Fucking little freak," Cindy explained, examining her nails.

Andy's sister had never really grown up, but then she had never had to deal with anything serious. Although he didn't like to think about her, he thought about Sharon and compared her to his sister. They had both lost their mothers at a young age; both of their fathers had killed themselves. As a teenager they made the mistake of falling in love with the wrong guy and indeed getting pregnant. But Cindy had ended up giving birth, while Sharon had had her child stolen from her. His old partner had made more of her life with the little she had, and so had Andy. Maybe that was the true reason why he couldn't get on with his sister - he had escaped and ran and built a life, while she had grown up in her own bitterness.

"Why didn't you call me when it happened, I only live like ten minutes away," Andy wondered but Cindy just rolled her eyes. He knew the reason - she didn't want him around. The only reason she had helped him get clean was so she could hold that over his head. She now ran a nail salon, Max was a successful businessman. Andy was the drunk.

The two policemen turned to Andy. It was a reasonably small town they all lived in, a lot of the people from New York had moved for its cheap rent. Max lived half an hour away in the big city. Cindy's son Karl lived in Manhattan, working as an actor while her daughter Clare lived in Washington DC, the furthest she could afford after a big falling out with her mother. He was the only family close enough and even then it wasn't good enough for her.

"Sorry officers, my brother used to be a 'cop'."

"Really?" One of the officers asked, amused. Andy could almost hit Cindy for her tone - he wasn't some security guard at a mall somewhere, he had been part of the LAPD's Major Crimes, he had been one of the best detectives in the force. He had taken on big time gangsters, had put away movie stars, had taken on serial killers. And yet he was reduced to the ex alcoholic brother with no job.

"Just be careful son. Don't want any problems with an itchy trigger finger, okay?"

Cindy wrapped up with the police officers, and Andy decided to just walk away and go back to his car. There was nothing he could say to his sister, nothing he could say to the cops. He was there because of an itchy trigger finger. Because he had shot Jimmy Beattie in the head, and couldn't take the feeling of shooting one of his own, even if he was a scum sucking psychopath who had just raped and stabbed his friend.

So Andy did the only thing he could do, and got a baseball bat from his house and went to the diamond where he hit the balls as hard as he could. It wasn't enough.

X

After a city the size of Los Angeles and New York, London was easy to overcome. So in the evenings, when her insomnia was too much to handle, she caught the tube into the city and spent her time wrapped in a light jacket and walking around the streets. She looked at the people walking past, and she would find cheap Chinese food and just sit around, thinking about the lives she was witnessing. The couple arguing, the two people holding hands in the street. She would see the teenage girls walking past, followed by pretty teenage boys. Life, all around her.

"Hey. You work at the ice cream place, don't you?"

The question came from a teenage girl that Sharon had seen at work a few times. She leant against the railings, and in the bright lights of the London Eye, she could see that there were a few bruises on the girls face. Recent, from the looks of things, within the last couple of days. They were still raw on her pale skin.

"Yeah I do."

"They say you're a cop."

Sharon snorted. "Used to be. Used to work at the LAPD."

The girl sighed, and Sharon stepped forward, moving her hand and tilting the girl's chin upward and into the light. The bruising was bad, obvious. Obviously the person inflicting the bruises on her had no concept of hiding his work. Sharon sighed softly as she remembered another girl about her age that had difficulty asking for help when she needed it.

"What's your name? And what does your boyfriend think he's done to hit you that hard?"

The girl stuttered, obviously not used to such abrupt questioning about her bruising. The women in her life, the very few Sharon had back when she was married, had whispered behind her back and sighed. It had been the men who had pressured her to be strong. But a lot of people just looked away, not wanting to get involved. Way of the world. "Amy. He thinks I'm cheating on him. I would never, I love him."

Sharon reached for the girl's hand. "He doesn't love you, honey. No one who hits you that hard has any feelings but malice for you."

"You sound like my mother."

The older woman chuckled, before remembering how things had sounded to her all those years ago. Not wanting to listen to people's advice because she already knew it all. Sam had loved her, despite the belt marks on her back, the hospitalisations. When she had become pregnant, she knew she had to run, to get away from him. Sharon rolled up her sleeves and showed Amy the cigarette burns. The girls face paled.

"What happened?"

"My ex-husband decided that I'd make a good ashtray. I'd show you my back, but I don't know if you've eaten recently."

Amy looked smaller when she realised she had picked the right person to confide in. They talked for a little while longer, and Sharon then took her to a place she knew that served late coffee and really good chocolate cake. The bruises looked harsher in fluorescent light, but Amy seemed to take everything in her stride.

"You wanted to know if I could arrest your boyfriend, right?"

Amy nodded, eating her chocolate cake gingerly. "I'm not strong enough to leave him. I wish I was, but I'm not. I love him."

Sharon smiled. "My brother was the one who persuaded me to leave Sam. And the fact that I was pregnant. You need to think of something you want, Amy, something that he can't destroy and can't touch. And reach for it. I'll be here to catch you, whatever happens."

The young woman smiled and continued to eat the cake. "I want to be a school teacher. I want to teach Art. I want to go to University and get a degree and teach Art."

"There you go. Go for it."

Sharon walked Amy to her house and waited until she got inside before making her way back to her own flat. For the first time in a long while, she didn't sleep but she sat and looked outside her window as she thought about the world and her life to date. If one good thing came out of her change in life, it was hopefully helping that one girl.

She took out her phone again and looked at Will's number on her screen. Sharon's finger moved forward and pressed the call button. A thrill went through her as the phone connected the international call, and her heart began to thump in her chest with every ring of the dial tone. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon in LA; he would still be in his office.

"You've reached Assistant Chief Will Pope's office, can I help you?" his receptionist answered, and Sharon began to grin insanely.

She couldn't say it was her, gossip went around the LAPD like wildfire and if he wasn't in, she didn't want to leave a message and leave him wondering. So she made up a story. "Hello, this is Captain Brennan from Internal Affairs; I need to talk to Chief Pope regarding FID?"

"Is this in regard to Chief Brody's dismantling? Because I think you would need to talk to Chief Johnson, she's taken on all the old FID detectives."

The secretary's words hit her like a punch in the stomach and she didn't know what to do. "I need to talk to Chief Pope." The words came out automatically; she didn't even know what was going on. She couldn't comprehend what the woman had said, it didn't make any sense. The phone conversation changed suddenly as the dial tone stopped, and she realised she had reached his office.

"Chief Pope?"

Sharon ended the call, not sure what she could say to him. She was still in shock from the secretary's words; she couldn't say everything she needed to with that running through her head. So instead she threw the phone across the room and laid back on her bed, thinking about her last conversation with Tony. She thought she was going to throw up. As she thought about Will's voice in her head, the words held her close as she thought about her team and how her personal actions had ruined everything they had worked for as a family.

For the first time in a long time, Sharon Raydor fell asleep crying.

X

Sex with Lana was always great; she was a little wild cat in bed and enjoyed just having fun. But she was always a sound sleeper and that meant Andy could often get out of bed and look out the window. He missed the ocean; he missed just the rush of LA. New Jersey wasn't the sticks, but it wasn't far off. A quiet existence, no guns, no criminals and no dead bodies.

Brenda Leigh Johnson would end up putting a tailpipe in her own car, just for something to do.

He didn't really do computers, but Lana was always on facebook checking up with her sisters in Texas, or making sure her old high school friends were keeping themselves out of trouble. As his girl was fast asleep, Andy decided to do some internet surfing of his own. He had got himself a facebook account to annoy Tao, and so he logged in. It was still reasonably early there, so he made sure that Tao wasn't in the chat box and went surfing.

There were a couple of messages from Tao in the inbox, but he knew better than to answer them. Give it a few months, when he would be settled, and then he would reply. He just needed time to get rid of the home sickness he felt in his gut, or he would be on the next flight back into Major Crimes.

He managed to work out how to see Tao's pictures, and chuckled at some photos taken way back of him and Provenza. He saw the latest ones - it had been Sanchez' birthday and they had all gone to a bar for some food and some drink. Strangely, Belluci, Stoker and Williams were in the pictures. Maybe FID and Major Crimes had come to a truce after all.

Provenza looked good. There were shots of them in the new building that Andy had heard mutterings about, and saw that Provenza had even taken his desk from Parker Centre with him. Andy laughed softly as he thought about it. His hand reached automatically for the ring on his hand, but it wasn't there, it was with Provenza.

The Chief looked great, a little tired looking but she was smiling in a few of the pictures. Scrolling through the album, he found one of the two of them, with his arm around her chair. It had been taken in the blissful couple of weeks when a pseudo truce had been reached, and Sharon was happy with Will and he had had to be there for a Stroh hunting Brenda who couldn't seem to let go. A quiet time in LAPD history, when everyone had been getting along and doing their jobs.

A new picture had been tagged with him in, and Andy went to bring it up. He didn't know why, it was a view of the new office. He could pick out Provenza's desk, and some of the other's. He scrolled over to find his name, and realised it was on the spare desk nearest the Chief's office. As he looked at another picture of it, he realised Tao must have taken this when the Chief wasn't looking, as she was fiddling with the desk lamp on it, looking very much alone.

He wondered how much a flight to LA would be. But instead, as Lana shifted in her sleep, he moved over and joined her back in bed. A thought for another day, when he thought about whether he was truly happy retired. She sleepily reached for his hand as he moved in beside her, and Andy held her close as they slept.

X

Sharon was doing the morning shift at work, so she headed in a little early to set up and make sure they had all the stocks of things they needed. She talked to some of the other staff, who were quite happy to talk and tell her some good places she could go for a little tourist time. Eventually their first customer came in, and Sharon started scooping out ice cream.

Her day was going really quite well until a young woman came in, barely out of school. Sharon didn't know her name, but knew her face quite well. She was a friend of Amy's, and they usually came in together. Maybe the other girl had a date or was meeting other friends. If so, she didn't look happy about it.

"What can I get you?" One of the other girls asked while Sharon took her own orders. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to know if everything was alright. She wanted to know if Amy was alright.

"Just a weak tea, I've just come back from Amy's parents. They found her dead this morning, that arsehole of a boyfriend beat her to a pulp."

Sharon didn't even pay attention to the rest of the conversation; she undid her apron and headed out of the parlour as quick as she could. She hailed a taxi and headed across London to Amy's home where Sharon had dropped her off less than twenty four hours before. She paid the driver and rushed across the road where she could see crime scene tape had already gone up, and there were several police cars parked out front.

There were quite a few people watching the scene, and Sharon walked up to them, trying to act casual. "What happened?" she asked a woman about the same age as her, the type of woman who sees everything on the street and can't wait to gossip about it.

The woman sighed. "Sweet girl across the street, boyfriend used her as a punching bag. Apparently she tried to leave him, he wasn't having it."

A man was being led out by two uniformed police officers, and Sharon felt a punch in her gut. He was bigger than her, tough looking. There was no way that sweet, small Amy could have stood a chance against him.

"You know what makes it even worse? He was a copper, her boyfriend. Should have known fucking better. Bloody coppers."

After hearing the woman rant about her former profession, Sharon decided to leave. She walked back into the city, promising to make it up to her boss, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back. Sharon had screwed up - not everyone had to be as tough as she was. She felt immortal sometimes, coming close to death twice with Sam and Jimmy and coming out the other side; she often forgot that everyone else seemed to be so fragile. That everyone else was human.

Sharon pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. No one from the LAPD had tried to call back, obviously things were busy. Nothing changed there, they were always busy and Will especially. Nothing ever changed. Cops were still dirty, and young girls still died.

She was slightly disappointed in herself that she had forgotten that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_LA Times, 12__th__ July 2010 [page 4]_

_Today a very unique sight was seen outside the new headquarters of the LAPD. _

_As written four weeks ago, the race for Chief of Police has heated up, and details of the shortlist will be revealed on Friday. A source inside the mayor's office claimed the rush to get the new Chief in place was due to the drag between the announcement of Chief Berrill's departure in March and the final deadline for applications. This source also describes how recent actions at the LAPD have disheartened potential applicants from taking on the main role as LAPD Chief. _

_"Two psycho officers in the space of a few months - no one wants to have to deal with that. Only an idiot would be Chief right now," says a high ranking source in the Mayor's office. _

_However, while applicants may appear to be thin on the ground, support is not. Unusual for previous Chief races, several groups of officers started a rally outside the new LAPD headquarters to raise support for one of the contenders ahead of Friday's revelation. As the morning grew on, more police officers joined the group and started cheering. The person they were all rooting for was the current Assistant Chief, Will Pope. _

_"The officers here need to be heard. We aren't going to respect a Chief that doesn't know anything and only gets in because he plays golf with the Mayor's cousin or something. We need someone who is going to move us forward as a police department, and strengthen this city." _

_Those with the words of Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell, an officer on the search committee for the new Chief. He made his choice very clear as he stood up on a makeshift podium with Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson of Major Crimes, and Captain Robert Taylor of Robbery/Homicide Division. Officers flocked and cheered as they supported their colleague Will Pope in his bid for Chief. _

_Whether or not Chief Mitchell will be suspended from his position on the committee for his obvious bias is unclear, and he could not be reached for comment. As for Chief Pope, his office reported that he is happy and grateful for the support of his fellow officers, and will wait to see the committee's decision on Friday. As will we all. _

_LA Times, 12__th__ July 2010 [page 23]_

_A young woman was found dead on campus at UCLA today. She has been identified as Keighley Weaver, a sophomore studying fine art. Keighley was found by her roommate Elle Jackson around midday, a sophomore studying pre-med. _

_Keighley's family were unavailable for comment, wanting to grieve their loss in private. A spokesman for the LAPD announced that they were looking at every possible lead, and signs of foul play are evident. The LAPD's Major Crimes Division are working the case, and are hoping to make a break through very soon._

X

Brenda Leigh Johnson looked out of the window of her office and sighed. She had wanted to get into work early today, just to get away from home. Fritz had found out that the night she had claimed she was at the office she had actually been at the Pope household having dinner. They had argued, they had yelled and he had accused her of returning to Pope whenever things were stressed between them. Thankfully, Brenda's mother chose that time to call and announce that she, her father and her niece Charlie were going to be visiting for a week or two with the RV, while dropping Charlie off at her aunt's. They were due in California the next day.

"Morning Chief."

She looked up and groaned at Tony. He nodded and moved over to sit in the chair opposite her desk. For the last five months, Tony had been a rock during the troubles with the new building, and of producing a better, more efficient Major Crimes. Brody had tried to reassign the three former FID officers four times now, and she had to be on her game to save them.

"You're in early this morning Lieutenant. Everything alright at home?" Brenda asked, and Tony nodded.

"My mother in law has come over from London to see her grandchildren and her baby girl. So I've decided to escape. It's not without its benefits though; she brings care packages from Britain. So, here. The best of British chocolate."

Brenda looked at the huge bar of chocolate that Tony had brought her and smiled at him. She then snatched it across the table and started taking a big bite of it. She sighed as the creamy taste hit her tongue, and she felt a little more relaxed.

"Problems, Chief?"

She grumbled again and took another bite. "My parents are coming over. You haven't met my parents."

Tony coughed, looking a little sheepish. "We met your mother last year. We…we took her to lunch; me, Claudia, Simon and psycho bastard Jimmy."

Brenda smiled at the words used to describe their former officer. Everyone had felt betrayed by the trust they had put in Jimmy, and had had that trust ripped away when Jimmy had raped and stabbed Sharon Raydor. The three remaining members of the Captain's squad were difficult to read concerning the situation.

Tony cursed Jimmy whenever his name came up, not making a martyr out of someone who ruined his carefully set up squad. He was also overly protective of Sharon Raydor's name when it came up, but didn't mention it himself.

Claudia had cut Jimmy out of every picture they had, and when that wasn't possible burned all the pictures. She had started chain smoking, and Brenda found it hard to work with Claudia when she was always up on the roof having a cigarette.

Simon was going to break, and Brenda could only watch. The poor young man had retreated into himself, becoming quieter as things went on. If Jimmy or Sharon's name was brought up into conversation, he would break things, or dig his nails into his palm so hard it hurt. He was in pain, and had no one to confront about it. It was seeing Simon's reaction that made Brenda wish Jimmy had lived, so he could be punished for his actions.

"You took my mother to lunch?"

"With Flynn and Provenza. It was a good lunch; she seemed to like Simon and Claudia."

Brenda smiled, and thought about what was going to happen today. They had no open cases, a welcome break to get all their paperwork done. However, it was not an easy day for her. She had things to do first thing that morning, and then she had the afternoon off to greet her parents and her niece at her house. Not an easy day by any means. Mitchell knocked on her office door, breaking her out of her mood and she realised it was time.

"You coming down, Lieutenant?"

"Try and stop me."

It had been a month since the alliance between the two Deputy Chief's had been struck, and since then they had brought several other high rankers in, including Commander Taylor. Robbery/Homicide had kept to themselves in the past few months, all of them feeling the loss of one of their own. However, Brenda had noticed that Taylor had been quiet, keeping to his office and fiddling with his model planes. She wondered whether he felt guilty about how he had treated Raydor and Flynn over the years.

As it was, once they got onto the makeshift podium [constructed by Sanchez and Tao while Provenza looked on], Brenda could see new life infused through Commander Taylor. It wasn't just her that this promotion of Pope was helping.

"Morning everybody," greeted Taylor. They had decided to get support this way when people were coming in first thing in the morning, rather than doing at the end or during lunch breaks. You just didn't know what would happen during a day, or what emergency would come up. So far they had a few stragglers.

Brenda turned to Mitchell as he joined them on the podium in full uniform. There were quite a few people she didn't recognise, and yet people she did know seemed to recognise them. "Who have we got here?"

"We've got the main Captains of Internal Affairs, some of traffic and then a handful of your department and Taylor's. It'll get better."

Taylor started explaining to the people what it mean to be Chief, what previous other Chief's had done, and what could be achieved by the new one. There were a small chorus of affirmatives, but it was very quiet. As the minutes ticked on, Brenda worried that this had just become an exercise in futility. If Brody turned up for work at that moment, he would see that he had nothing to worry about - his competition didn't have any support.

Seeing the surrender in her face, Mitchell stepped forward and grabbed the microphone. "Maybe it's not about picking the best candidate for Chief. Maybe it's picking the best that we can have. Personally, I don't want an attempted cop killer as my next Chief."

Brenda looked up in alarm at his words. He couldn't go there, he just couldn't. His words had struck a few of the people ignoring the rally and they moved over to see what he had to say. She could see the rest of her team arriving, and saw that Claudia and Simon had brought with them some old friends from Vice and the Gang Unit.

"You think those officers thought about breaking that scumbag Webster out of his cage on their own? They haven't got enough brains to fill out a fucking transfer form, let alone plan a felony!"

Mitchell was getting involved with his speech, finally using this as a platform to deal with his own emotion. The members of Internal Affairs cheered, and Brenda noticed they were louder than the rest. Some more officers came to listen to what they had to say.

"Now I can't prove anything, but I can tell you it wasn't Will Pope who allowed Webster out. It wasn't Will Pope who ridiculed FID - when they have been right about some of the scum sucking officers on this force who are only here because Daddy has a big wallet!"

Several of the arriving uniforms cheered at that. Brenda realised that despite being at the LAPD for the best part of six years, she didn't know the officers as well as she should do. She hadn't been there during the riots; she hadn't been there through the tough crimes. She hadn't seen the true face of the LAPD - that was reserved for the head of Internal Affairs alone. The invisible man.

Mitchell moved to the front of the stage, where Brenda could see that his officers, including the former FID three were clapping the hardest. Out on the pavement, she could see that Brody had arrived for work. He looked at her hard, his face curling in disgust as he watched the picture in front of him grow.

"Will Pope has been our Assistant Chief for twelve years. _Twelve Years_. He has had to do what he's had to do to keep the LAPD afloat. He doesn't take any crap from the NSA, the FBI, the DA's office - he supports his officers because he knows what we can do! He was there for us during the UCLA Killer. He was there for us when we were hated and loathed and despised by everyone in this city. And he will be there for us again when we move from being enforcers to the protectors of this city."

A few reporters had joined the back of the fray, seeing what all the fuss was about. Noticing them, Taylor stepped forward to get the mike from Mitchell, worried that he would continue on his anti Brody rant. Thankfully, Mitchell relinquished the microphone easily. He had already said his piece, now it was Taylor's turn. "We've lost half of this city. We've lost this city to the gangs, to the murderers, to the crooked cops who ruin the work we do here. With Pope as our Chief, dammit, we can get this city back!"

Brenda joined in the cheering, and Taylor passed the floor to her. She stepped up and saw that Will's car had arrived, and he was watching the scene, completely bewildered by what was taking place. But he was smiling. Brody wasn't. However, as Chief Berrill parked and joined Will's side, he smiled at the show of strength and support his officers were producing.

"We've been through a lot these past few months, we've had to take a lot on, we've had to deal with a lot of grief. Now, after Assistant Chief Brody dismantled the entire FID department because he got pissed off with his personally picked officers being brought up for unlawful use of force, I got three incredible detectives in my department. One of them told me something that their Captain, Captain Raydor told them. "To Protect and Serve" shouldn't be just words. Now days, we take those words for granted, but we shouldn't. Chief Pope believes in those words, and so should we! We should believe in him!"

The cheering was loud, and Taylor gave Brenda's shoulders a squeeze as they looked at the officers moved through their words. Wendell escorted Will through the edge of the cheering, and beckoned Brenda over. Brody and a few of the other officers attempted to shut down the rally, and Tony and another officer had to hold Mitchell back from hitting him. Wendell asked for Brody to come over as well, trying to stop a fight happening between two senior officers. Taylor started moving people into work, the damage to Brody already done.

Brody was angry. "Sir, this is completely irresponsible. And the slander - Chief Johnson I could sue you for defamation of character."

"Its war Brody, you get a little dirty. And as far as I'm concerned, it's the truth."

Wendell held up a hand. "Stop it." He sighed, and turned to Brody. "Brody, Chief Johnson was just voicing an opinion about an officer who could become her Chief in a public forum. I'm sure you could do the same, throw out about Will's failed marriages, his relationship with Captain Raydor if you so chose to. But that's all personal - at least Chief Johnson's faults with you are professional. If I were you, I'd worry about getting a better image to the committee if this is the general reaction of you becoming Chief."

Brody was severely chastised, his blood boiling. Will enjoyed the sight of his rival being told off - what he had done to the hard work of Wendell, Sharon and Mitchell was inexcusable. Unfortunately, Wendell hadn't finished. "However Chief Johnson, the next time you want to attack Brody, at least do it to his face. Dismissed, all three of you. If there are any repercussions from this on either side, I swear that I will use my last few weeks as Chief to fire everyone involved. We clear?"

There were mumbled affirmatives, and Brody went off in a sulk. Wendell smiled at Brenda and Will before moving off into the building. When they were alone, Will hugged Brenda tight, and gave her a grin.

"Thank you for this. I didn't expect such support."

"These people want you to be Chief, Will. I want you to be Chief."

They hugged again, Will clinging onto her back. When they broke, his arm was still around her waist. They hadn't been this close since Washington DC. They looked at Mitchell talking to one of the reporters, explaining his point of view. Taylor was in the background, shaking his head.

"Is Mitchell going to get into trouble for helping us? He's on the committee, isn't he?"

"It'll be up for the Mayor to decide. But either way, this makes me want to fight for Chief. Fight Brody. You know those words, the protect and serve thing? Those were the words that made me realise that I could have a lot more with Sharon Raydor than just sex. Those words made me fall in love with her."

They clung to each other again before Provenza went to bring the Chief inside. It was time to do some work. Will saluted Brody in jest as he walked inside, feeling on top of the world.

X

The rally had been a big success, some of it ending up on the local news and no doubt it would be in the papers for the evening edition. Brenda was feeling better about what was going on that afternoon, and got through her paperwork just in time to see Fritz knock on her door. He looked tired, and he was about half an hour later than she expected. She wondered, sullenly, if Fritz had gone to an urgent meeting with their counsellor to discuss their latest argument.

"Hey."

"Hey honey," Brenda smiled and moved over to where he was standing by the door. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, their relationship still frosty from the night before. She perched on the edge of her desk.

Fritz sighed and cocked his head in the direction of outside. "Your parents are having a tour round the new office with Provenza. Charlie is a little interested. Did you know where we're going this afternoon?"

"No idea."

Fritz sighed and turned to his wife. It was the sort of sigh that she knew would lead to an argument, either about her not wanting kids or about her constantly being at crime scenes. Either way, she knew what was going to come out of his mouth she was going to argue with. It was such a pattern, and she hated it. "We're going to UCLA to have a look round the place as Charlie wants to study there when she's finished High School. And live with us, obviously. She'll be in LA full time."

Brenda didn't say anything, just looked out the window of her office at her mother who was having a rather animate discussion with Simon and Claudia, the former who had given up his chair for her to sit on. Her father was looking at the new offices, the technical stuff being explained by Tao and Buzz going right over his head. Charlie was sitting at _the _desk.

"Well we'll just have to talk her out of it, won't we?" Brenda announced as her heart rate began to rise and she became irate. She walked straight past Fritz and out of the office, leaving a pissed off husband in her wake. She went over to Charlie, who was playing on her phone and hoisted her niece up from the desk. Her grip was too tight, and Charlie made a fuss before Brenda released her. Seeing her actions, Provenza slammed a stapler down on his own desk, angry with the way she was handling things. It wasn't any of his concern.

"Charlie, no one sits there." Trying to make amends, Brenda pressed her niece into a hug, giving Provenza danger signals. "It's so good to see you Charlie! And you too Momma, Daddy!" She went and hugged them too. Clay Johnson's expression didn't change, but Willie Rae seemed happy to see her daughter. "I see you've met Simon, Claudia and Tony."

"Yes, we met last year and went for a lovely lunch. I was hoping I could take Clay there, do you know if Captain Raydor would be able to get us a table?"

She could see the faces of the FID three, and watched as Simon's turned inward, aghast. His hands squeezed. Claudia said a quick goodbye, stuffing a packet of cigarette packets into her pocket. Gabriel gave Tony a weak smile. As it was, Brenda realised she had to explain, so she did so in the basic of terms. "Captain Raydor retired, Momma, as did Lieutenant Flynn. So - we going to UCLA?"

"Apparently so. Your niece wants to come to LA to study. Don't see anything wrong with Atlanta myself," her father groaned, and Brenda stifled a chuckle at her niece's eye roll.

Brenda smiled and decided to move her family out of the building as quickly as possible. She didn't need this stress on top of everything else. Fritz had joined her out in the office and was waving at everyone, saying hello. As Brenda passed Tony's desk looking for her purse, he pressed another bar of chocolate into her hand.

"Let's go then!"

They decided to go in Brenda's car, as they could fit them easily. The RV was in Brenda's driveway, but they wouldn't be staying in there while they were at Brenda's. Willie Rae and Clay would have the spare bedroom, while Charlie would sleep on the sofa. Willie Rae also had a list of activities planned, and was hoping that Brenda could tell her when she could quickly get days off. This was going to be a long couple of weeks.

X

Tommy Pope knew his father had warned him about hanging around the UCLA campus, but he was addicted to the world of crime, the world of conviction. It absolutely fascinated him, and surprisingly he enjoyed when his father brought Chief Johnson over, as she had no problems about spilling crime scene facts.

Thankfully, he had applied just in time to take a Criminology/Psychology course at UCLA in the coming autumn. There was also a summer school for wannabe criminologists, ran by Professor Eric Hadley. He was a good guy; he had seen Tommy sit in the back of some of his classes and didn't kick him out. So after work at the garage, he had asked Mina for a lift to the college and tracked down his office.

"Come in."

Tommy stepped in and smiled at the professor. He was around his father's age, with a strong build and a thin wedding band on his finger. No children, as far as Tommy could tell. The office was open and airy, and everything had a proper place. It was completely unlike his father's study, and whenever he had gone into Chief Johnson's office.

"You're the boy that sits in on my lectures, aren't you?"

"Yes sir, I am. Tommy Pope." He offered his hand to the teacher, who shook it quite happily.

Hadley smiled. "It's always good to see enthusiasm in my students, Tommy. And I've noticed you've had to resist putting your hand up a couple of times to answer my questions. Have you applied for next year?"

"Yes sir, a bit late but its there. Apparently I'm going to hear sometime this week. I was also hoping to join your summer school, sir. I think I'd be an asset to it."

Tommy's heart fell when the teacher shook his head, disappointed with the answer he was about to give. "I'm really sorry, Tommy, but the places are full up, and you have to write an essay to get a place and fill in an application form as it is. I'm really sorry, but I hope to see you later in the year."

If there was one thing his mother had taught him working as a DA, it was that you could never give up, never surrender. "Sir, my father is a cop. I want to join the LAPD. I know about murders, I know about transferred intent and solicitation and how you go to the death penalty. I've sat in interviews; I've watched Major Crimes at work. Sir, I want this - and I have to say I know a hell of a lot more than a lot of your students do."

Hadley seemed to consider it for a moment. He was impressed with the boy - a lot of teenagers today didn't put in the effort, didn't want to go to college and just did it for frat parties and to escape their parents. But this young man wanted it so much, and for once he could have someone who could really commit themselves to the course, who could learn from him. After all, wasn't college about giving people the chance to prove themselves?

"I'll see what I can do, mister Pope. But I want an essay on transferred intent by tomorrow morning, 2,000 words. With examples, mister Pope. If you can do that, I'll give you a reply about the summer school and about your place with UCLA this coming Friday."

"Thank you sir, thank you." Tommy grinned as he rushed out of the halls. This was it, this was his next step. If he could prove himself in the summer school, then he would be fine at college. It was only a few stepping stones to becoming a part of the LAPD. He didn't know, maybe by the time he had joined up they would need someone new to be in Major Crimes. As much as he had disliked Chief Johnson in the past, she was a great detective.

As he was thinking about his future, Tommy bumped into someone in the street. She was a pretty girl, young with brown hair and a bright smile. She wasn't a student, or at least she didn't look like she was. However, although there were people crawling around the campus she wasn't with anyone. When he looked at her, she continued to grin even more. She looked about his age, maybe an art student.

"Hey, sorry bout that."

"No problem. I'm Charlie," she held out her hand, and Tommy took it. She was cute, and from the way she was looking she was definitely into him. It wouldn't take long, just a couple of suggestions and they would be having dinner somewhere that night, maybe drinks - he did know several places that served underage college students. Then, with Caitlin and Brendan at Estelle's, he could take her back to his.

"I'm Tommy." He was Tommy Pope, future officer of the LAPD, not some spoilt rich brat who slept with girls out of some power grab. She was cute, a pretty face but he realised that he didn't want to sleep with her, didn't want to break her heart. That didn't hold any appeal, not like it had done. He was a changed man, and he wanted to stay that way. "You go here?"

"I'm hoping to."

"Hey, same here!" Tommy said, and Charlie laughed. She was nice, and Tommy wondered what course she wanted to do. They could be friends, something he was in urgent need of. The only person he was friends with now in LA was Mina, Sharon's goddaughter. Her father was his boss, and he reasonably got along with her brother Alex. But either way, he didn't have a great social life in the city of sun. Just talking to another person was a luxury for him.

Charlie was about to say something when Tommy caught sight of someone behind her and he waved at them. "Morning Chief!"

Brenda Leigh Johnson turned around and saw Tommy talking to Charlie, a welcome distraction from her father grumbling about the state of Californian colleges. She moved over and smiled. "Morning Tommy. I see you've met my niece Charlie."

Definitely off limits romantically, but she could be a good friend. Brenda had turned out okay, she was helping out with Dad really well. "Yeah I have, she's great. I didn't know she was applying for UCLA."

"Yeah, once she's finished High School," announced a gruff old man who Tommy took to be Charlie's grandfather. He knew Agent Howard, and he wondered if the other woman was Charlie's grandmother. Tommy held out his hand for the older man to take, and he did politely.

The older woman looked at Brenda for an introduction, and she reluctantly gave it. "Tommy, these are my parents Willie Rae and Clay Johnson, my niece Charlie and my husband Fritz Howard. Everyone, this is Tommy, Chief Pope's son."

Much to Tommy's amusement, Clay Johnson gripped his granddaughter's shoulders tightly, attempting to protect her from Will Pope's son. He had never given it much thought to what Brenda had gone through when his father had broken up with her. He had just worried about his own life. However, for all the faults his father had, he was suffering now. Sharon had been the one, and she had been taken from him.

"Nice to meet you all. I need to go back to work, just a quick stop over here."

"Sneaking into criminology lectures again?" Brenda teased. Will had told her about his son's interest in the police force, and she had invited him to sit in on a couple of interviews. Will had been less than impressed with Brenda, but his son seemed to really enjoy it.

"No ma'am. It was nice to meet you all, I'm sure I'll see you around. Mr and Mrs Johnson, Agent Howard. Chief. Charlie. Enjoy the campus"

Tommy waved them away as he caught sight of Mina's car and a pair of bare feet perched out of the window. Brenda could hear her father grumbling and Willie Rae trying to soothe him. Fritz didn't say anything, but she could see Charlie was interested in the boy who had blown past her. Brenda wasn't sure whether she approved or not. She knew both father and son had changed over the past year, but she also knew the legendary Pope charm. Broken hearts quickly followed.

X

Currently, Brenda Leigh Johnson was wondering if it was too late to run away with Will Pope, adopt his kids and have crazy sex whenever they wanted. Of course he was a little screwed up at that moment; he didn't need his ex girlfriend knocking on his door demanding that she be the sole focus of his life. And despite their past, Brenda was enjoying just being friends with him - they were close and she could talk to him in a way that she was unable to do with Fritz. Brenda seriously considered that Will might be her best friend - he was certainly one of her few.

They were still looking around the UCLA campus, and while they were going around, Willie Rae explained what was going to happen. Her parents would be down for a week, maybe a bit longer to spend some quality time together. Charlie would be down until school started so she could get a grip for the city and spend some time with her aunt and uncle. Her niece was excited, her and Fritz less so. They were having marital problems with the counselling as it was - introducing a teenager, even a reformed one wasn't going to help matters. She didn't know if she could give the attention that Charlie deserved, she needed to focus on Will and helping him, putting off her own problems. She already had one teenager on speed dial, she didn't know if she could deal with more this summer. Especially not if Tommy and Charlie became friends - which might be a possibility judging from the face of her niece. She was quite smitten with the young Pope, a trait that seemed to run in Johnsons.

"Brenda Leigh, are you coming?"

"Yes Daddy!"

Fritz smiled as she caught up with them inside the Dorm room corridors and rested his hand on the small of her back. He was being a little softer with her, and she hoped that he had calmed down. There was nothing going on with her and Pope, she loved Fritz. But he had never been able to see that, he was always so jealous, especially of Will because he now had everything Fritz wanted - friendly conversations with his wife, kids who adored him. It always came back to children.

"This looks like a lovely place to learn," Willie Rae exclaimed as they walked through the halls. Charlie was grinning, and Brenda loved seeing her so happy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Charlie came down to study - who knows, maybe she would even want to join the LAPD? Two Johnsons on the force, now that was a scary thought.

A young man walked past with his shirt off and winked at Charlie. He was wearing a Greek letter around his neck. "Hey sweetheart."

"She's seventeen," announced Clay, who gripped her shoulders tight once again. He wasn't going to let some young frat boy do things to his granddaughter, despite Charlie's obvious embarrassment. Maybe that was another thing Charlie wanted to escape from - going to college in Atlanta meant her grandparents could easily visit.

While Willie Rae and Clay argued about embarrassing their granddaughter, Fritz took Charlie and showed her some of the societies that were at the college. A little bored, Brenda started looking around. Down the hall, Brenda caught sight of a young woman banging on a door. She was wearing what looked like yesterday's clothes and a tired expression. The group continued to move, and they caught sight of one of the guides. Charlie and the family went to talk to him, while Brenda went to see if she could help the girl.

"Everything alright?" Brenda asked, and the girl slammed her fist down onto the door before turning away, upset.

"No, I'm not. I had an all nighter to revise for my last midterm; I had to redo the damn thing. And now my stupid roommate won't let me in. Goddamn it Keighley, let me the fuck in!"

The girl kept banging on the door until Fritz finally joined them and got out an old card from his wallet. He moved it through the lock and the door slid open, dorm room doors were notoriously bad for that. He looked at the young woman with sympathy. "Get some sleep. Or get some coffee. Just relax; college isn't the end of the world."

Brenda smiled at Fritz and they rejoined Charlie, who was still asking a few questions. Eventually the teenager was done and the Johnson - Howard party moved down the corridor and were about to turn left when they heard a horrible choking scream. Brenda hightailed it back with Fritz running after her. It was coming from the dorm room of the frenzied girl, and they both immediately pulled out their badges and showed them around.

"Everyone keep back please!" Fritz poked his head inside the door and saw the teenage girl screaming; and a figure on the bed, not moving. He grabbed her hand and brought her out of the crime scene, where Willie Rae asked Clay to go get her some water.

Brenda walked in and looked over the room. Nothing seemed out of place. It was a bit messy, but then she had been in college and knew all about that. But it was the woman's roommate, this Keighley that was out of place in the room. Brenda moved down and knelt next to the bed. She wasn't moving, she was obviously dead.

The girl had blonde hair, was very pretty. There was not a mark on her, and Brenda could see all of her. She was naked on the bed, and very still. Of course there was one mark, the gaping hole around her neck. But there was no blood, no fibres. She had been washed clean, clear of everything. She was ice cold, like a statue of frozen marble.

"I've called it in, apparently Williams and Gabriel will be here as quick as they can."

Brenda nodded at Fritz, but was hypnotised by the girl. She hadn't seen anything so…dead before. She was like a piece of art, portrayed to show the emptiness of death. It was haunting, and she couldn't take her eyes away from her. Eventually, it was Tony taking her elbow that jogged her out of her thoughts.

The morgue attendant came quickly enough, and she could feel the rest of her team hovering around. Brenda looked up to see Tao talking to some of the SID personnel, Sanchez putting up crime scene tape, Gabriel taking statements. Provenza was talking to her parents and Charlie, trying to reassure them. Her three new additions were being of use, Tony was setting up a perimeter, Simon was looking on the notice board and Claudia was joining Gabriel in statement taking.

"She's been dead within four hours," the morgue attendant announced.

Four. So short a time. The killer had to know that her roommate would be out, knew the halls well enough that they wouldn't be caught. Brenda wondered if they had murdered her here, but there was no sign of blood, no blood spatter. She had been cleaned, had it been here? How had they got her here and no one had noticed?

"Chief, your parents want to take Charlie back, and I think that's a good idea. A real good idea. Let the morgue attendant deal with the body for now Chief, let's get back to Park- to our new home and we can run through what we know," Gabriel said, and Brenda agreed.

As she moved to the doorway where her family were, she could see that three of her detectives were looking a little paler than usual. Tony was trying not to stare at the girl, and Tao was examining the girl's scalp. Provenza was at the head of the bed, staring at the body coldly. She put a hand on his arm. "Something the matter, Provenza?"

He shook his head. "I've just seen this tableau before Chief. Too many times. I hope to God history isn't repeating itself."

She didn't ask what he meant by that, as she could see her parents were getting impatient. So she just stopped thinking and asked Fritz to take them home.

X

His day had been quite successful, with the rally first thing and then with no major emergencies. It meant that he could head off home quite early and start getting things ready. He sent a message for Tommy to make himself scarce for most of the evening, even promising him some money. As soon as he got home, Will Pope started cooking. Anna Bradley was coming over.

Caitlin's former teacher was pretty, polite and she was lovely company. He had called her up a month ago and asked if she wanted to go to dinner. They had made a lunch date instead, and it had been really lovely, in an upscale restaurant. However, Will kept having flashes of the impromptu dinner he had ended up having with Sharon that had resulted in a trip to the beach. So that date had ended with a kiss on the cheek on her doorstep, and him leaving in his car in the middle of the afternoon.

She had then called him, asking if he wanted to go see a new romantic comedy that had just come out. He did, so after asking Tommy to babysit, they had gone to see that and had popped out for a little dinner afterwards. Anna had suggested a drive, but Will had ended up refusing, if only for the fact that the last time he had gone for a romantic drive, he had nearly ended up buried alive.

This would be their third date, and he was cooking for her. Will was quite aware of third date protocols - however they hadn't even kissed yet, let alone slept together. As it was, he wasn't ready for either of those scenarios. On the table were a ton of real estate brochures - he was trying to find somewhere new to live. Not only did he have memories of Estelle in his current home, but now there were the ghosts of Sharon, and it was breaking him ever so slowly.

There was a knock at the door, and Will opened it to Anna, wearing a very casual summer dress. He invited her and her bottle of wine in, and he presented their dinner. They talked, discussed state of affairs, his kids, her love of Asia and also discussed some of the other parents that went to the school. After dinner, Anna went on the sofa, and Will joined her.

"It's been lovely, Will. Dinner was great."

"Thank you, who knew I was such a good cook," Will joked, but his laughter stopped as Anna put her hand over his and stroked the back.

She smiled softly. "You're such a wonderful man, Will. A good cook, a great Dad. Incredible."

Anna leaned up to kiss him, and she pressed her lips to his ever so gently. Sensing no resistance, she moved up to grip the back of Will's head and press her lips fully on his. She began to suck on his bottom lip, and Will responded ever so slightly, kissing her back. However, when Anna's hands moved downwards over his chest, Will jerked away.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wondering if she had done something wrong.

Will shook his head, deciding to come clean about how he was feeling. "I'm sorry, Anna, you are lovely but I'm still in love with my ex."

Anna sat back on the sofa, nodding. This date was not quite how he had expected things to go. Maybe he should be Jeff Bridges in that film where he gives up kissing and sex. It always screws things up. "I understand. Must be hard, with the divorce. But it's been, what, nearly five years since you broke up?"

Of course, she would think he would still be in love with Estelle. Any feelings for his ex wife had disappeared when she had announced she was leaving him. "Not with Caitlin and Brendan's mother. I mean my last ex, Sharon."

"Oh." She shifted in her seat. "How long were you together?"

"Best part of six months, I guess. We've been broken up nearly five."

He could see in Anna's face that she didn't quite understand. He knew none of his friends would, the only people who seemed to truly understand were those that had met Sharon, and knew how special she was. Or who were cops, and knew that a bond between two cops, even through the greatest of hardships, was never broken.

"Maybe you just need a little time to realise that you broke up for a reason. You're incredible, Will, I don't want to give up seeing you. Not without a fight. I hope we can still do this, we get along so well and I adore your kids. This could be something really good."

She was stroking his cheek and Will thought she was going to kiss him again when the doorbell rang. "That's probably Tommy, forgot his key."

He slipped out of her grasp, thanking whoever was at the door that he didn't have to continue on with his conversation with Anna. However, it wasn't Tommy on his doorstep, it was Taylor. He was looking upset, a little angry too. "Chief, we need to talk urgently."

"Sure thing."

He looked back towards the living room, wondering how he was going to get his date out of his house quickly and politely. Thankfully Anna had heard and had slipped on her coat. She squeezed his hand as she went to the door. "Got to work, I understand. I'll call you; we can have dinner at mine next time."

Will visibly relaxed when Anna had gone, and Taylor chuckled at his reaction. He offered the Commander a seat, which he took. "Not liking the dating world so much?"

"Anna is great, but she isn't Sharon. I understand that I need to move on, but I don't want to dammit, I still love her," Will admitted. He was in a circle, a self destructive circle that would leave him alone for the rest of his life. Although she had said not to, he was waiting for her. Although he had wanted to move on, needed to, the reality was a lot harder than he had thought it would be.

Taylor sighed and gripped the other man's shoulder. "Well this isn't going to help matters, I'm afraid Chief. I just got a call from Lieutenant Provenza. A body was found at UCLA today, a young girl. Left in her room, naked, washed and with her throat slit."

Will's eyes widened as he realised what Taylor was saying. "And? Does she have a lock of hair missing, Taylor, come on? Is that psycho back in my city?"

Taylor exhaled and looked at Will. He already knew the answer, and his carefully cooked dinner felt like it was trying to escape. "Doctor Morales does believe that a lock of hair is missing from her. I'm sorry Chief, but it seems that the UCLA killer is back."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_London Metro, 14__th__ July 2010 [page 3]_

_The body of a teenage girl was found on the campus of UCLA early on Monday afternoon. She has been identified as Keighley Weaver, a first year student studying fine art at the Californian Institute. Friends describe her as 'vibrant', 'friendly' and an 'amazing artist'. She leaves behind two loving parents, and an older brother who is also studying at UCLA._

_The LAPD have yet to make any arrests, but they are following several leads. Murders are not uncommon among Californian University students - some get drawn into the gang culture and for others the big city holds too many vices. However, California has the highest number of serial killers in the United States, and UCLA has a history for attracting serial murders among its students. _

_In 1998, nine teenage girls died while studying at the campus, and although several arrests were made, no one was ever convicted of the murders, and the case remains open to this day. An LAPD spokesman refuted claims that this could be the work of the same man, saying that experts believed the UCLA killer, much like Jack the Ripper, stopped because he was dead. _

_A date for the funeral has not yet been decided, and the Weaver family have asked to be left alone so they can grieve their loss in private. _

_New Jersey Herald, 14t__h__ July 2010 [page 2]_

_Tragedy struck on Monday 12__th__ July at UCLA as the body of student Keighley Weaver was found in her dorm room at the Californian institute. She was discovered by her roommate, and police officers were soon on the scene to investigate. Her death has officially been ruled a homicide, but the LAPD were not available for comment, saying they were working on leads and would hopefully make an arrest soon. _

_Keighley was the youngest child of a loving, Californian based family. Her brother Jacob, a fellow UCLA student is said to be 'devastated' by his sister's death, and will join his family in mourning. Her roommate, Elle Jackson, was questioned by police but Keighley's death remains a mystery. _

_The student body of UCLA are said to be in mourning for a 'vibrant, energetic and amazing artist', someone tipped to go far in the art world of Los Angeles. While this is a new experience for several of Keighley's former classmates, those older citizens of Los Angeles and indeed the country will remember when young girls murdered at UCLA were an unfortunate norm. Twelve years ago, the UCLA Killer murdered nine girls. Several arrests were made, but no one was ever found guilty of the tragic lives taken from the sunny campus. _

_No doubt the people of Los Angeles are holding their breath, hoping that this is just a tragic death, and not a warning shot to the LAPD that the UCLA killer has returned to its shores. _

X

He was staying around Lana's, not sure of why he was even there. He'd been having nightmares the past few nights, just little things. Like being dragged down under the ground by the nine girls he had chosen to protect, that he had failed to protect. Maybe he should go see a shrink, but he didn't like that idea. He couldn't even drink his way into oblivion. He knew the answer to his dreams anyway - knew why the girls were screaming at them.

It was coming up for twelve years since the girls had died - he had missed all their anniversaries this year. He wondered how many of the girls had had flowers placed on their graves, and how many had gone bare. When he had woken up that morning, covered in sweat, he could still smell the graveyard dirt. He was feeling guilty for abandoning the girls, and Andy wondered who else he would see in his dreams. What other victims had he left for the cold case archives, he wondered. Too many.

"I'm going to get some wood, make you that shelving unit, okay babe?" Andy announced, pulling on a shirt as he made his way through her kitchen. He kissed Lana on the cheek.

He wanted a distraction, and the idea of carpentry seemed like a good idea to him. Working with his hands - he'd have to concentrate so he didn't slice off any fingers. No more thinking about victims he'd failed. No more thinking about Joey O and what he had done to prevent that feeling.

"Okay honey. God, this shit…some girl got murdered in LA," Lana sighed, closing the paper and looking defeated at the table.

Andy sighed, searching in his pocket for his car keys. "There's always some girl getting murdered in LA."

He waved goodbye to Lana and headed out of her place and onto the street. Andy took his car and headed out to the store, only getting lost a couple of times. His sister had had a couple more problems, but she had turned to Max for help, not him. She hadn't wanted him around, and Andy was fine with that. He didn't need her put downs, her smug attitude. He had tried to be a brother, tried to make up for the years that he had left her to screw up her own life and now he was done with it.

Just a rinse and repeat cycle, which was normal for a small town. He missed the excitement of a new case, of catching a bad guy and wondering how many people you had helped by doing so. He missed the unpredictability of Los Angeles. In fact, he had even sent a message to Tao over Facebook the other day, wanting to see how everyone was. He had replied, explaining how Sharon's former team had now merged with Major Crimes and how everyone was trying to keep up a good show but they missed him, even the Chief.

As Andy moved around the town he realised that although he had friends, family, no one really cared. He could get hit by a car and people would be upset, but they'd move on with their lives. He didn't have anyone here who would take a bullet for him. Despite having two siblings - he damn well didn't have any family.

Andy got the wood and moved it into the back of his car. The night before, while Lana had been asleep, he had looked at prices of plane tickets to travel back to LA. The only thing that was stopping him was his pride - he had left LA because he couldn't handle how everyone would treat him, how he wondered whether he would make a mistake.

He had left because he hadn't wanted to keep wondering, walking through the same corridors, seeing their fellow colleagues and loved ones, whether he had made the right choice, saving Sharon Raydor.

Andy continued on his way, deciding to live it one day at a time, and worry about the nightmares when he was dreaming.

X

Sharon Raydor had spent most of her life living out of just one bag, dragging it around like a safety net. Life now was no different to how it had been before; she still carried just one bag with everything she needed in it, and no more. Sharon had only carried a little when she had been a fifteen year old orphan, with the smell of bleach unable to get off of her hands. She had done the same when she had moved with Sam to Los Angeles, taking what little they needed for the road. Likewise, she had carried what little she had back to New York after her divorce, wanting to get as quickly away as possible.

It saddened her that she had so few possessions worth keeping.

After what had happened with Amy, she had handed in her resignation to the ice cream parlour, and gave them a number they could call if they ever had any more trouble. She moved out of her cramped apartment and headed into London, staying in a different hotel every night. One night she even dressed up pretty and went into a posh London hotel and bounced on the bed, wishing she had someone with her.

Loneliness was the norm for her. She was tired of it, tired of one bag and one bed and one person. She felt like her fifteen year old self again, scrubbing her hands to get rid of the spots of blood she could see on her skin. Only this time, the blood was her own.

"Can I get you anything else?"

Sharon and Heather waved away the waitress as they continued to talk about things over lunch. The topics stayed very clearly away from Sharon's new lifestyle choice, and especially about what had happened with Amy. Heather had been told the bare minimum, and asked to keep her psychological opinions to herself. Instead they mostly focussed on Heather, how her family was getting on. They also talked about sports, and how the World Cup final had gone. They were sitting in a pub, and they had televisions displaying the news but neither of them was watching. When Heather went to the bathroom, Sharon tried to absorb the atmosphere but something caught her eye on the monitor.

_"It has now been confirmed that the young woman, identified as Keighley Weaver, was murdered. Sources at the LAPD…"_

She moved onward with her coke, and welcomed their dessert onto the table. She tried to focus on the ice cream in front of her, but something was nagging her at the back of her mind. Heather was walking back when Sharon had another look at the televisions hanging on the wall. There, in black and white, was a selection of pictures she knew all too well.

_"In 1998 nine teenage girls died at the hands of the UCLA killer, and critics can only ask whether this murder is a continuation of those killings. No one was ever arrested, and the LAPD are said to be working on new leads, but nothing has been revealed to the press."_

Heather looked up at the news screens and then back at Sharon, but she was transfixed. She sat down, and watched as Sharon didn't say anything. She was still trying to take in what had happened. A picture of the new girl was put up on the television - despite being twelve years apart she mildly resembled the other nine. Young, pretty, idealistic. Dead.

"I have to go, Heather."

Her friend didn't look surprised, but she reached out and grabbed her hand, trying to ground her. "Go where, back to LA? Do you think you're ready to handle going back? After that girl was killed, you've been…well a wreck," Heather explained, and Sharon nodded in agreement. Things hadn't been on her side, and if she was truly honest with herself she wasn't sure whether she was ready to go back either.

Sharon brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and looked at her friend. She then moved her gaze up to the TV screens where the news story had changed. She had, well not dreamt about the moment, but had hoped it would occur. She would finally get the chance to tackle the UCLA Killer, bring him in and arrest him for all the pain and suffering he had caused. If she was going to return to LA to tackle demons, she may as well do them all at once.

She leaned back in the booth and Heather joined her, relaxing the grip on her hand. "You think I should stay here? I keep… I keep thinking about my life and how it was like after my Dad died, after what Sam did to me. I'm just living."

"Barely."

Sharon smiled faintly, she had a point. "I don't want to just live. It's boring. And there is a part of me that wants to settle the score with that son of a bitch."

"And Jimmy."

She drank the rest of her drink and placed it gently back on the table. "And Jimmy, yes. He was…he wanted me away from Will, and he got what he wanted. They always get what they want."

Heather could see her friend was still undecided about what she wanted to do, so she kissed Sharon on the cheek and headed out. Sharon started eating her dessert, looking up at the screens and trying to rationalise her decision. Going back would be hard - she didn't know whether she could forgive herself for abandoning everyone, even if they could forgive her. She knew one thing, however, and that was that they would never solve the case without her and Andy together, if it was indeed the UCLA killer.

After calmly eating her dessert, Sharon left and went into the city streets. She found an internet café and got the number she wanted, with a little help from directory services. Eventually, the sound of the international call came through and she started to smile.

_"Lieutenant Tao, how can I help?"_

"Hey Michael, its Sharon. Don't say anything or put this on speaker phone, okay? Just…tell me, is she one of his?

She could hear him cough and then suddenly Tao hung up and the line went dead. A few minutes later, Tao rang back on her mobile phone, obviously somewhere in private away from prying ears. _"How are you? Where are you?"_

"I'm in London at the moment, Tao."

_"Oh that's lovely, me and my wife have always wanted to visit London. Such a beautiful place, one of the very few countries in the European Union that has a royal family."_

Sharon had forgotten that Michael Tao liked to ramble, but in that moment she didn't care, it was just nice to hear a little taste of home. "Tao! Is the girl on the news one of his? They said she was killed at UCLA. I need to know."

There was a quiet pause on the other end of the line, and Sharon felt a mixture of emotions. It was him. She felt scared - the last time she had come up against this monster he had wiped the floor with her and Andy. But now they had another chance to put him away for good. They had another chance to catch him, and there was no way she was letting that pass her by, Jimmy or no Jimmy.

"Is Andy there? How is he about all of this?"

There was another pause on the line before Tao spoke up. _"Andy retired the same day you did, left LA and went to New Jersey." _ Sharon cursed, not for the first time regretting her decision to only say goodbye to Will before she left. _"Though, if you want to talk to him, I have his address that I can give you. He's living with his sister in New Jersey. He didn't exactly give it to me, but I worked it out with a little help from a few online databases."_

"You're an amazing detective, Tao, you really are." Sharon grinned. "Listen; just don't say anything to anyone, okay? I'm going to find Flynn, see if he wants in on this case. If he doesn't, then…I can't tackle this case and everything else without him. We're a team; we have to take on him together."

_"Okay, call me when you have him and I'll pick you both up from the airport. And, Captain? It's good to hear from you."_

Sharon felt tears well up as she ended the call. As she went back to that day's hotel to pack her stuff, she caught sight of the UCLA murder again. She had let that bastard kill, now, ten girls. She had let Sam beat her within an inch of her life, and effectively kill their unborn child. She had let Jimmy rape her, not putting up enough resistance just going to the place where she always went. She couldn't stand up to Jimmy, he was dead. She couldn't stand up to Sam, he had grown more deranged in the last few years and the divorce had effectively ended their relationship. But she could finish what she started with the UCLA killer, twelve years on.

Sharon called Heather on her way to Heathrow, and the doctor went to meet her at the airport. When she got there, she bought the first ticket to New Jersey, and waited until she saw her friend. They hugged, just as she needed to go through security.

"I'm going to miss you. I feel kind of selfish, but I was hoping you'd stay. It's been wonderful to have you here," Heather admitted as they broke apart.

Sharon smiled. "Hey, well I don't know where I'll go after this case is done. I may come back."

"No you won't. Even when we were kids, I knew it better than you did. Los Angeles is where you belong, your heart is there. I suggest you go reunite with it."

They hugged once again, and Sharon moved through security. She didn't know what she would do when she got there, what Andy would be like. She hadn't known he had retired, and believed that what had gone on with Jimmy had tipped him over the edge. She hoped he wasn't drinking again, but she knew that was too much to hope for. She was shaking as she got on the plane, afraid of what was to come. Heather was right though, her heart was back with her badge in Los Angeles. She just had to find the strength to tackle everything, to put everything to rest.

X

Andy Flynn worked on the piece of wood before him. As a kid, his father had loved working as a carpenter, had enjoyed the piece of solid wood beneath his fingers. Of course his father used that as an innuendo for the girls he would bring back to their home and fuck in his mother's bed. Andy had long ago stopped caring for a father that hadn't cared for his children, and had taken the cowards way out of this world.

"Hey baby," Lana kissed him on the cheek as he sanded, and passed him his lunch. She had been working that morning at the salon, and had come by in her lunch break to hang out, eat together and maybe make out. Simple life for simple people. She had also picked up some of the tools he had needed - her place not having a great amount. "Someone came looking at your house for you."

"Who?" Andy asked, trying to act nonchalant but knowing he would fail. He had been very good at not telling anyone where he had gone after he had retired. He didn't want to get constant calls from Provenza asking him to come back. However, he had told Tao he had gone to New Jersey to stay with his sister, and he realised now that that was a mistake. Of course Tao would be able to track down his address, Tao could do anything.

He wondered who had found him - he doubted it was Provenza. Maybe Buzz or Tao had come down to persuade him to come back. He liked to think it was Brenda Leigh Johnson, but he doubted that it would be her. She had the job and the department to worry about, as well as the race for the new Chief that Tao mentioned was occupying her a great deal. She couldn't travel right across the country to pick up wayward employees.

Lana shook her head, obviously buying his uncaring attitude. "Just some woman. Wanted to talk to you, said it was urgent."

He knew very few women at the LAPD, and it would have to have been from there. It was either Johnson or Belluci in his mind, and he doubted it would be Belluci flying half way across the country to come find him. "Where are they?"

"Probably waiting back at the house. Everything okay hon?"

"Everything's fine."

Andy waited until Lana had finished her lunch and headed back to work. He stayed to finish the latest job on the shelves before packing up and heading out. He got into his car and drove to the small house he rented in the suburbs. As he thought about things more, he wondered whether it could be some of the women from AA, maybe one of the mothers of one of the victims who needed his help…maybe even Georgette Andrews had decided to pay him a visit. Andy kicked the door on his car closed as he saw the figure standing on his porch. He started to smile, but when he moved up the pathway he froze, not believing who his visitor was.

Sharon Raydor.

Now there was a face he had never expected to see again.

She was wearing jeans, a thin shirt on top. There was a duffel bag by her feet; she had probably just come straight from the airport to see him. She had put on a little weight, was wearing her hair a little shorter than it had been when they had been in LA. Her face looked healthy. Better than the last time he had seen her, in a hospital bed, broken and bruised from the rape and attempted murder by one of her own.

"Hey Andy."

Sharon was standing there, shaking. He would give anything to walk up to her, and hold her and tell her that she didn't need to shake. But the flashback of them doing something similar on her kitchen floor was burned into his retinas. He couldn't unsee it. So he just stood on the steps, looking at his feet with his hands in his pockets. It seemed strange that they were both in the same place, so far from home.

"Hey Sharon. You look good," he greeted, and it was true. She did look good compared to when he had last seen her, but she didn't look happy. Not that he probably looked happy either, but that was his own business.

She blushed a little, hugging her body with her arms. "So do you. How have you been?"

He didn't know really what to say to her. He got his bag from the back of his car and walked up the steps to the porch. He looked at her, his toothpick hanging out of his mouth, his eyes wide with emotion. The Chief always said he was too emotional. He didn't know whether he was pissed to see Raydor, or whether he was disappointed it wasn't Brenda. Overall his visitor was unwelcome

"Listen, I know you've probably come a long way, but I don't care. I don't want a conversation with you. I don't want us to sit down over coffee and talk about good old times." He flung the bag to the floor and took a step forward. "I saved your life; I had to sit there with your blood on my hands and wonder whether I was doing the right thing when you _begged _me to let you go. I get why you left, hell I did the same fucking thing. But at least I told everyone before I did it."

Andy picked up the bag again and walked past Sharon. He fumbled with his key in the lock before slamming the door shut behind him. He slid down the door, his fingers trembling as he found another toothpick to chew. He couldn't deal with her, didn't know what to say to her. She was like a completely different person to him. He was a completely different person. They had nothing to say to each other, now. There was too much anger between them. With him.

"Andy please listen to me!" Came the voice from behind the door. He could hear the begging tone in her voice again, a stronger tone like the one she had used the last time they had spoke. He couldn't, he just couldn't. Andy wondered where the nearest place to buy alcohol was. He felt he needed a drink.

"ANDY!"

"Leave me alone. Just go back to wherever you were, there is nothing you can say to me that is going to make us have a conversation. I don't want to be part of that world anymore."

She moved down beside the door, he could feel her. She knocked once again on the door, and started talking to him through the crack. "I know you're angry for me not talking to you Andy, and I completely understand. I was…I was guilty about asking you to let me die, and I just couldn't face you, Andy. I'm sorry. But this is bigger than whatever is going on between us, and whatever happened with Jimmy in my kitchen." He heard her sigh. "They found a girl at UCLA, Andy. She was raped, murdered and dumped on her bed."

It was if time had frozen at that moment, and all Andy could do was stare at the darkness of his hallway, only highlighted by a window in the other room. His skin grew cold, and he turned to the doorframe. "You're not serious."

"It's all over the news, Andy, check your damn paper. The LAPD are saying that there is no obvious connection, but I called up Tao. It's our man, Andy."

Slowly, Andy stood up and pulled open the door. He looked at Sharon on the floor, and gave her his hand. She took it, clutched it and he pulled her up. They stood like that, their hands clasped together.

"Come in. I'll get you a drink."

X

His house was nice, sparsely furnished but it got the job done. There were no beers in the fridge, which surprised Sharon as she could see that Andy hadn't got his AA ring on. He passed her a can of coke and took the big step of sitting next to her on the sofa. She took a sip of her drink before resting her head on his shoulder, taking a deep breath of relief. She felt calm.

Andy didn't know what to do, but as Sharon's hand lay open, he took it. "So, honestly, how have you been?"

"Crap. I worked at an ice cream place for a while, which was nice. But I told this girl she should stand up to her dick of a boyfriend and the son of a bitch ended up killing her. I was on medication for a while, I had insomnia. I missed Will and home and I just couldn't go back because I thought I had to do this to work through everything. I thought I had to do it by myself."

He squeezed her hand, and he felt his shoulder grow a little wet. "Well that sucks. I heard you left, got really pissed off. Handed in my resignation and got bombed. Came here, got sober and have been my sister's whipping boy for the past five months."

"At least you're getting sex. Your girlfriend is cute."

Andy smiled and kissed the top of Sharon's head. This was nice, being back together. Both of them had felt adrift for a very long time, it was nice to come back to some sort of sanity with a person you knew. "Thank you. And…shit, Sharon, with everything…are you happy that I saved you?" He shifted away from her, his hands clenching into fists. "I need to know."

Sharon looked at him, her hands curled around each other. "Honestly, Andy?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad you saved my life. I would have haunted your arse if you had listened to the words of a blood soaked, oxygen starved Yankees fan. You know me Andy. I could never do what my father did. I don't do giving up."

She had missed the bright smile on Andy Flynn's face, and happily crawled across the sofa and hugged him tight. His arms went around her, holding her close. Eventually they broke apart, their hands still clasped. Andy saw something on Sharon's wrist and gently pulled up her sleeve. There was a tattoo on her arm, the letters 'FID' inked onto her skin in black scrawl.

"When did you get this done?"

Sharon smiled, looking at the thin ink. "After the girl died - about two days after actually. Her boyfriend was a cop, and I got it to remind myself that despite all the crap that goes on in the world, there is a small department of people I consider family, who I worked the best years of my career with that make the streets safer for cops and the citizens of LA."

"Think I should get one with MCU?"

Sharon chuckled, pulling her sleeve back down over the tattoo. "You could. How about this little heart with 'Toothpick boy 4 Miss Atlanta'?" She teased Andy; she knew his relationship with Brenda Leigh Johnson was a touchy subject, especially when they spent a lot of time helping each other over cases. She hit Andy in the shoulder and he frowned.

"No need to be mean about it. Why didn't you get Pope's name on your skin? Oh, brilliant idea. Get a Pope hat. Perfect symbolism."

Andy hit her back and headed out for the main window of the living room, looking out onto the street. He smiled, and took a sip of his drink. "You know, I compare the two views. Of this, and the one of my condo in LA. They look very similar. The only thing that isn't is this ache in my chest, and the feel of my ring on my finger. I want to go home, Sharon. I want to go home."

"Me too." Sharon put her drink down on the table and watched him, her smile sad. "It's going to be tough; people may be upset, people will probably be happy but we did up and leave a lot of people. Maybe they won't care, but we can't keep doing that to them. I can't keep doing that to Will. If we go back, we stay."

"Can you handle that? Being in the same city after what happened with Jimmy?"

Sharon stood up and joined him by the window. The light felt so warm on both of them. But it wasn't as hot as the LA sun and they both knew it. "After Sam I ran, I ran far away, over the other side of the country, and I didn't come back for like six years. And then with what happened with Jimmy, I ran, and I want to keep on running but I can't, when everything I love is in LA. We have a mutual demon in Jimmy, Andy, and we've got one in Eddie Hanson. We need to do this together, and I am tired of being…alone."

Andy smiled and watched her reach over with her hand. "You with me?"

"You and me, Sharon, we're a team. Always have been." He walked the few paces until he reached for her hand and held her in a hug. "We go back together."

X

Simon was sitting at his desk, going over the forensics from the girl's room. He wasn't feeling his best, he was tired and he didn't want to spend another day sucking Claudia's cigarette smoke when they went for breaks together. He missed the Captain, he missed his former life. He even missed the former Jimmy, not the psychopath that had hurt the Captain and screwed everything up but the nice boy who they all liked and who they all trusted. He understood why she had gone, but she had been the lynchpin of their group, their boss. He missed her more and more each day, just the way she loved them, trusted them, protected them from the rest of the LAPD.

"Hey, Simon, can I borrow you for a little while?" Tao asked, whispering in hushed tones.

He didn't have anything else to do but look at nonexistent fingerprints and blood splatter. "Sure, where we going?"

They snuck past the rest of the team, busy looking at a dead girl and hiding their disgust that the UCLA killer was back. They were still waiting for Doctor Morales to sign off on the girl; he was seemingly trying very hard not to do her autopsy. Maybe because he realised that once he did and they knew it was the guy, he realised there would be more girls to come.

"We're going to LAX; we're picking up a couple of people who are going to help us with this investigation if it is the UCLA killer. Specialists."

Simon just nodded, not wanting to get Tao started on what their specialism was as no doubt they would be there for the next week. He just got into his car and let Tao drive to the airport. He noticed, while Tao was fiddling with the radio, that his own hands were shaking a bit. Simon wondered if the Chief or anyone had noticed how purple his knuckles were - he had ended up hitting a wall the night before, and the night before that. Not for the first time he wondered about going to see the department shrink, but he didn't want her to sign him off of duty. He needed to work.

They drove up, parked and went straight inside the busy airport. Tao went straight to see the arrivals board and what time the specialists' flight was coming in. He sent Simon over to the arrivals gate, saying he would know the specialists when he saw them. Sighing to himself and too tired to argue, he went over to the gate where there were a few flights coming in, one from Rome, one from New Jersey, one from Chicago.

Simon kicked imaginary dust bunnies and as people started coming through, he looked up at the arrivals gate. Average people, any of them could be these specialists. He wondered if he should make a sign, announcing that he was from the LAPD as he hadn't been given any names. Simon decided instead to ask anyone who looked incredibly lost if they were heading to the new LAPD headquarters.

A woman came through the gate, tall, slim with curly brown hair. She was carrying a duffel bag and was wearing a leather jacket. She looked like every other passenger coming through, and she didn't look lost. It was only when his brain registered that he recognised the passenger did he look up and see who the passenger really was.

She looked down from the ceiling and caught his gaze, and he saw her bite her lip. She used to do that, he had forgotten she did that. She took a couple of steps forward towards him, stopping at where the barrier was. Her hands buried themselves in her pockets, and she smiled at him.

"Hello Simon."

Simon didn't care about the barrier; he swung over it and gave Sharon Raydor a hug. She clung to his back like a drowning victim clinging for life. He squeezed back tightly, not comprehending that she was actually there, that she had come back to them. As they broke apart, he could see that she was crying. He could feel tears slipping down his own cheeks. She reached up and clasped his face, brushing away the tears running down his skin. She looked so happy to see him. Her touch felt so warm. All the trouble of the last few months melted away just by looking in those green eyes and Simon realised that they could be a family again.

"Hello Simon."

"Hey Captain. Welcome back."

They hugged again, this time Simon lifting her up and swinging her around. He put her down, happy to see her smiling. He couldn't say anything; he was lost for words at the sight of her. Someone came into his eye line, and Simon realised it was the prodigal son, Andy Flynn. The two had returned for the UCLA killer case, it had to be. But Simon didn't care what had brought them back, just that they were there.

"Hey Simon," Andy greeted, welcoming the man into a hug. "It's good to see you."

Tao caught up with them and hugged Sharon first, and then Andy. They all just stood there, not really saying anything; it was all in the way they clung to each other. Sharon's heart nearly broke at the sight of Simon whispering 'thank you' into Tao's ear. Eventually they realised they were clogging up the arrivals gate, and Tao flourished a hand.

"It's good to see both of you. Come on; let's take you to our new headquarters."

Simon put an arm around Sharon's shoulders, holding her close. They linked hands at her waist and both of them laughed. He had wondered if she would have any doubts about trusting him after what Jimmy had done, and as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sounds of LAX and the feeling of one of her own officers by her side, Simon realised he needn't have been worried. They were family.

"What are the new headquarters like?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "They suck. We're not allowed to have a toaster."

"What the hell is Claudia doing for breakfast then?"

As they walked out of the airport and towards Tao's car, Sharon felt lighter. She was home, with people who she loved, who she adored. In the back seat, with Simon in the front happier than she had ever seen him, Andy reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

"Happy to be back?"

"Damn straight."

Tao smiled in the driver's seat, and started the car, ready to take them home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_LA Times, 15__th__ July 2010 [page 18]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews takes us through what is happening this week:_

_Tomorrow, the select group of people who have made it their mission for the last month or so to interview candidates and vet them will produce a five strong shortlist. These five will be interviewed by the Mayor who will be making the final choice as to who the new LAPD Chief will be. Tomorrow, the candidates will each receive a telephone call telling them who is on the shortlist, and ultimately who is not. _

_The applicants themselves are fairly secretive until the shortlist comes out, which in the words of one high ranking member of the LAPD "stops unnecessary sucking up until people can pick a side". However, a few of the candidates have already been reported on - Assistant Chief Will Pope and Assistant Chief Julian Brody are the two most high profile to go for the job. _

_While it is the Mayor who will make the decision on who will lead the Department, the current events in the next few weeks will ultimately change a few people's opinions, and can change high flyers to second place. The murder of young Keighley Weaver has not yielded any arrests three days on, and no doubt if this is the work of a serial killer or the UCLA killer then what the officers on tomorrow's legendary shortlist do in the future will choose our next chief. _

_LAPD Times, 15__th__ July 2010 [page 1]_

_The murderer of teenager Keighley Weaver is still at large, three days on. Investigation into Major Crimes' progress on the case shows that no arrest has been made, no one apart from family and friends have been interviewed. A discreet enquiry revealed that not even an autopsy has been performed on the girl, instead that will go ahead today. Officials are concerned that the LAPD is dragging their heels with this case, perhaps to quieten down press interference. _

_However, all the LAPD is doing is worrying the public. On one April morning in 1998, much like this past Monday, a girl went to her dorm room and was locked out. She called out a maintenance man, who picked the lock for her. This girl was called April Danes, and inside her dorm room was the body of her roommate, Madeline Parker, the UCLA Killer's first victim. The LAPD interviewed a few suspects, but they never made any serious arrests. _

_The next week, April Danes was found murdered, leading to a summer of terror as nine girls were killed in the same fashion, until they just stopped. If anyone has any information regarding the murder of Keighley Weaver, call into your nearest police station, or go to the new LAPD headquarters. No one in this city wants a repeat of the summer of 1998, least of all the LAPD. _

X

"You nervous about tomorrow?" Tommy asked his dad as they packed up sandwiches. He had the day off from the garage, and was coming into help with the murder case; they needed all the extra hands they could get. As it was, Tommy wanted to be there with his father. When he had talked to Brenda the other day, he had heard her mention who the case originally belonged to, and knew that his father was thinking about Sharon more than usual.

Will put in a chocolate bar and shut his briefcase. He sighed. "Well it will either go one of two ways. I'll get on the shortlist, or I won't._ You_ nervous about tomorrow? You said that's when you find out about your summer school."

Tommy nodded. "I am a little bit. I really want this. I did my essay on transferred intent; Sergeant Gabriel helped me with some of the answers, some of the case studies. We'll just have to see."

"Yes we will."

As they walked to the car, Will checked his phone. He had a text from Anna, and a missed call. He decided to leave it until he had a peaceful moment, which wouldn't be until they caught the bastard who had killed Keighley Weaver. He didn't know what to say to her either - he couldn't apologise for having been caught up in work, or more so he didn't want to apologise. He hadn't initiated the kiss, and although she was beautiful and smart and was interested in him, Will felt his heart still tugged towards Sharon.

"You going to ask Anna Bradley out again?" Trust his son to get right to the heart of his issues.

"Not sure. She's great, but…" Tommy moved forward and gave his father a hug. He held his son close, realising that he knew exactly what he was feeling. He missed her too. They broke away, and Will stroked his son's hair, once again thankful that they had been brought back together as a family. "Come on; let's get this day over with."

X

It was tough, and she didn't know how she was going to get through the day. Brenda had left her mother, father and niece on a tour bus going around Los Angeles, just something to do. She had also relayed directions via Tommy to Otto's Deli, so they could have an amazing lunch. While they were out, Brenda had to deal with a murdered girl, no leads, a demoralised department and the worry of whether Charlie was too young or just right for the killer. Either way, they had sat down with her last night and told her she was not to go anywhere in the city by herself.

Brenda looked out the window of her office, and saw that the murder board had all been covered up by the electronic one. Keighley Weaver's mother and father were sitting by Provenza's desk, Tony asking about stories and being shown a ton of baby pictures. The mother was about her age, maybe a couple of years younger. And her nineteen year old daughter was dead. Brenda had never been really good in those sorts of situations, trying to comfort the bereaved. She didn't know how Raydor and Flynn had managed it, telling nine mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters that their daughter was dead and they had no idea who was responsible.

Tony moved away from the parents and knocked on her door. He slipped into the seat in front of her, and she opened her desk drawer and tossed him a chocolate bar, as was their tradition. The FID team, especially Tony, had been a godsend. Especially when she was about to explain to a mother that her beloved daughter had been raped and murdered, and then thrown away on a bed like she was trash.

"Taylor wants to give us a briefing on the whole situation, explain about the previous girls. I was there when this all happened, wasn't directly involved but everyone's seen the pictures. It's definitely him."

Brenda nodded, realising she needed to get this day started. "Where are Tao and Simon?" She hadn't seen them for a while.

"Gone to go check on forensics I think, I'm not quite sure. What do you want me to do with the parents?"

"Take them to the break room, and then get another detective to talk to them until I'm ready to. When you're back we can get this briefing underway."

Tony nodded and went to enact her wishes. The rest of the team moved into the conference room and took up seats. Another murder board had been brought in, and Claudia was helping Taylor put up photos of all the dead girls from 1998. Provenza sat down, rubbing his forehead. Everyone had hoped not to bring this case up again. Gabriel and Sanchez sat down, and Tony came back from putting the parents away in the break room. Brenda motioned for Taylor to begin.

"What I tell you in this room goes no further. We tried _painfully _hard to keep information out of the hands of the press last time, and we want to do the same again. Now I trust everyone in this room, but if we get more bodies, we're going to have more people in here. I don't want to risk this bastard walking because everyone in the entire country knows how he kills his victims."

Everyone nodded, and Taylor began to talk about the original case. Brenda wasn't paying attention, just folding over the corner of the paper she had brought in with her. She remembered being told the MO of the UCLA killer many months ago, after a failed Stroh stakeout when she had needed to know that sometimes you moved on. It was Andy Flynn who had opened up to her, and she had opened up to him right back. This was his Stroh; this case was the one that had defined him. She wanted him there when she caught the killer.

"Now, what the killer does is sick, and we've never been able to work out how he's done it," Taylor was talking and pointing to some diagrams that were displayed on the board in front of them.

Brenda was still not paying attention, until she saw someone walk past the conference room and head into the murder room, where they sat down at a desk. Andy Flynn's desk. No one sat at that desk - no one had a _right_ to sit at the desk. She didn't care if it made her crazy or in denial, but that desk was there to remind them of what they had lost.

"Sorry Commander," Brenda muttered irately as she pushed away from the table and headed out of the door and into the murder room. There _was _someone sitting at Andy's desk, and she couldn't allow that to happen. "Excuse me, but that is someone's desk. No one sits there."

"Funny. Thought it was mine, Chief."

The person in the chair turned around. It was the toothpick she noticed first. Then the smile, the eyes, the feeling of happiness that built up in her. He was wearing a leather jacket, had a bag by his feet. The ever present ring wasn't on his finger anymore, it was around her neck. But it was undeniably him. Andy Flynn.

"Hi Chief. Miss me?"

He said it so matter of fact, like he had no idea how much she had missed him, how much she had wanted - needed - someone to talk to about it all. She smiled; she could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks. Her hand immediately went up to her neck and clasped the ring, her good luck charm.

"Only a little bit, Lieutenant."

She rushed over to him, and he immediately put his arms around her, holding her tight. They clung onto each other, Andy's hand stroking her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. When she looked up, expecting to see a smug grin on his face, all she saw was a mirrored look of her own - like two halves being put together, a jigsaw piece connecting with another. A missing part of a family returning.

"We need you on this case; I don't think I can add another photo to my drawer."

Andy Flynn looked at her, seeing the defiant look he was so used to in his boss. She was smiling, and he reached for her hand, tightening his grip around it. "He won't walk. Not with us two. I've got your back Chief. I'm back."

She clung onto him again, happy to have him back by her side, where he belonged.

X

Will hadn't visited the memorial since it had gone up, but that morning he felt he needed to. He needed to feel close to Sharon, and as he hadn't got a grave to go to, he decided to visit the memorial. Will wondered whether or not he needed to go see the staff shrink - it might help even though he already knew what was wrong with him - he was grieving for a woman he loved, who wasn't dead but couldn't be by his side. He wondered if the uncertainty of where she was was also stopping him from moving forward. He expected to see her around every corner.

"I miss you, I _really _miss you babe." He ran his hands over the plaque, smiling as he thought about gripping onto her hand in the surf, dragging her under. That summer seemed a million miles away from where he currently was. He couldn't believe it was almost a year since they had first slept together, since he had started on the road that would join his family together and ultimately break it apart.

"Damn it I wish you were here to tell me what to do. I know you said that I could move on, but Sharon I'm finding it difficult. Tell me it's okay to move on - I want to know if it's okay to move on."

"No! No it's not okay!"

He wondered if he had been imagining her voice, but as he turned around, there she was. Sharon Raydor. She looked the same from all those months ago; she was even biting her lip and looking at him with all the love in the world. "Damn, no, I wasn't supposed to say that. God, this was not how I thought our first meeting would go."

Will walked the few short feet to her side, and reached for her hand. It was warm, smooth, a perfect fit in his own. "Are you here? Are you really here with me?"

Her face broke out into a smile. "Yeah, I'm here. Will, I'm here."

He reached for her other hand, and stroked the back of it. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, completely out of control. Will could see a tear slipping down her face, but he didn't want to brush it away - it was tears of joy, happiness. "Are you here for good?"

"I am, if you want me." She started to tremble, and she spoke to him in a small voice. "Do you want me, Will?"

"Always."

She flung her arms around his neck, and he grabbed her around the waist, holding her close. She was warm, she was close, and she was here. Overjoyed, Will spun her around and then dropped her to his feet, his hands running over her face, stroking her hair, her cheeks. She was with him again.

"Can I kiss you?"

"If you don't, I will."

Will laughed before clutching Sharon's face in between his two hands. He looked deep into her green eyes, trying to reflect all the love he had for the woman in front of him into his own. He leant forward, but Sharon pushed herself onto his lips, relaxing as she kissed him gently on the mouth. They kissed again slowly, chastely, getting used to being around each other again. Sharon lifted an arm up and placed it around Will's neck, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I've missed you so much Will, you have no idea."

"Oh I think I do."

By the lifts, Simon watched as the two lovers embraced and enjoyed their happiness at being reunited once again. They needed to go to the briefing, to start the hunt for the killer, but they could have another couple of minutes. Simon believed they deserved that.

X

Brenda was still clinging onto Flynn when she realised they needed to break apart. She followed his gaze around the new murder room and into the conference room where everyone now sat.

"I need to talk to Provenza. He's got my ring."

"No, he doesn't, I do." Brenda pulled the chain out from under her shirt and showed the ring to Flynn. He traced the metal with his fingers, touching hers in the process. She moved to take it off, but he reached for her hand, keeping it in place.

"Don't. Keep it." Flynn smiled weakly. "I need to earn it back."

Someone discretely coughed, and Brenda turned round looking immediately guilty. She was happy to see Will, who grinned at Flynn. The two men walked forward, and shook hands. Will brought Flynn into a hug, patting him on the back.

"I never got a chance to say this Flynn, but thank you for saving her."

That was why Flynn had run, truly. Because he hadn't wanted to hear those words from the man who loved Sharon with all his heart, and yet know that she had wanted to go. But the words couldn't harm him now, and as he saw Sharon Raydor join the group and reach down for Will's hand, he realised truly that he had done the right thing.

"Captain," Brenda greeted.

"Chief."

The two women didn't know what to say to each other, and Sharon decided that going to shake her hand was the best thing she could do. After all, she had been taking care of Will while she had been off in London. Sharon moved forward and started to offer her hand when Brenda threw her arms around her. She was caught off guard, wondering why the woman a few months ago who had loathed her was now hugging her. But she clung back, happy to even see Brenda Leigh Johnson. She was part of home.

In the conference room, Taylor wondered what was going on, and looked out the door. He saw Brenda crying, he saw Pope happy than he had looked in ages. And there they were - a little battered, a little tired, but nevertheless they were there. His brain couldn't comprehend that the two officers he had loved above all were back. Brenda couldn't believe the human side she was seeing in Taylor. He was almost crying.

Sharon turned around to face him, and Andy saw Taylor and grinned. He smiled and walked quickly over to hug her. Sharon held on tight, clinging onto his back. After they broke the hug, he cupped her cheek. "You know, I never thought I would see you again. Either of you."

He gripped Flynn's shoulder, and looked at the two with immense pride, the Captain tearing up. Taylor started to chuckle. "My God. Do you have some sort of sensor when UCLA students are murdered?"

The moment became light and Sharon started to giggle. "Yeah, Google alerts. The damn thing is all over the news, Taylor. Dead girl at UCLA, who else could it be?"

Before they could get into a discussion about the case, there was movement from the conference room, and Provenza had come out to see what all the commotion was about. Andy took a step forward, but didn't move any closer. Considering what state he had left in, his reconciliation with Provenza was going to be tough.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." Provenza took two steps forward but there was still a great distance between them. For Andy Flynn, it might as well be a chasm. "You don't smell like booze."

"Some friends in New Jersey sorted me out."

Provenza nodded and looked over his old friend. He then turned to see the Chief, who was clinging onto Flynn's ring like a talisman. He had been missed, more than anyone had ever thought. When it came down to it, they all could get lost in the world they were in - Flynn was there to make sure that didn't happen. The cranky detective closed the distance and the two men then hugged, smiling and clinging on tight.

"You miss me Provenza?"

"Only your trash Flynn."

The two men broke away, and Provenza turned to Sharon. He clasped her face within two hands, and then drew her into a hug. He looked over Sharon's shoulder at Brenda, and although he would swear against it later, he was welling up.

"Well how have you been Sharon?" he asked, letting her stand on her two legs.

She shrugged. "It's been a little weird. I've been waitressing, doing the tourist stuff. London is pretty this time of year."

Provenza chuckled, and then turned to see the other detectives come through. Tao and Simon joined the fray, while Sanchez, Gabriel, Claudia and Tony came in to see what was going on. Brenda realised that Tao must have helped bring the two detectives back to LA, and she was eternally grateful for that.

Sharon left Will's side and went over to see Tony and Claudia, while Simon joined them. She started to cry seeing all of them together. She had been afraid of this moment for so long, wondering what they would think of her, what they would say to her.

"Hi guys. Listen, I just want to say that I am so - " Sharon's speech was interrupted with Claudia flinging her arms around her.

"Don't you dare fucking apologise, you have nothing to apologise for," Claudia hissed. Sharon brushed hair back off her forehead and held her close. Simon joined the hug before long and Tony joined in, resting his forehead on Sharon's, and holding both the others.

"She's right. You've got nothing to apologise for. You're back, that's all that matters," Tony concurred, joining them all together, a family once more.

Brenda watched as the three new members of her team reunited with their true commanding officer. She then watched Gabriel hug Flynn, and Sanchez high five him. Once everyone had finished hugging, they all turned to look at each other. There was laughing, and much joy. Tony, Claudia and Simon clung onto Sharon; they were not letting her get away this time. Provenza and Tao were resting their arms on Flynn, and Gabriel and Sanchez were standing close by.

"So, how long are you guys staying for?" Brenda asked, but immediately grew worried and turned to Will. As soon as the words had come out of her mouth, she knew they had been a mistake. They weren't staying, they weren't coming back, they were here to solve the case and then they would return to the lives they had in New Jersey and London.

The three ex members of FID broke away from their boss, and watched as she turned to Will Pope. He smiled at her, and she addressed the group. "Me and Flynn talked about this before we came back. We're back for good, whether you like it or not."

As everyone calmed, they started to catch up. Nobody talked about the case; no one talked about anything personal. Just about who had been fired, who had been hired and the new building. And of course, about Brody and supporting Will for Chief.

Just as Tony reminded Brenda that Keighley's parents were still in the break room; Detective Mendoza came up into the murder room. She was one of the officers who had been drafted in to help them, as she had worked successfully with Major Crimes before. She smiled at Flynn and Raydor before turning to the blonde Deputy Chief.

"Chief, we have a problem; there are some people in the lobby demanding to talk to you."

Brenda nodded and looked towards Flynn. "Captain Raydor, Lieutenant Flynn, seeing as you are the experts on this case, would you like to join me?"

The two grinned and joined the Chief and Will as Mendoza led them down to the lobby. Brenda saw Stephen Mitchell trying to calm down a group of upset people. There were about nine group's altogether, some people were on their own but others had family with them. One of the men stepped forward and turned to them all, not picking out individual faces. "Word on the news is that the murdered girl was killed by the UCLA killer.

"Sir, we found a girl dead in one of the dorm rooms. It's an ongoing investigation-"

"Who is this jerk?" The man jeered, before turning to Mitchell. "We need to see Andy Flynn."

There was a general murmuring around the room, and Mitchell closed his eyes before opening them, plastering on his work facade. "I'm afraid to say, sir, that Andy Flynn retired a few months ago. We haven't heard from him in a while."

Brenda had no idea who they were, but it seemed Flynn and Raydor did. They were watching the group from the corner, and Brenda was about to ask them what was going on when the man started up again.

"If that monster is killing again then we have a right to know what the hellis going on! Is Sharon Raydor here?"

Things were starting to become clearer, and Flynn gave her a nod when she looked his way. These were the families of the nine UCLA killer victims, nine girls who had been murdered in a very similar way to Keighley Weaver. Of course while Morales believed that a lock of hair was missing, he hadn't done the autopsy to properly conclude one way or another. Brenda wanted to catch a killer, but a part of her was pleading for this to be an open and shut case. She couldn't cope with a serial killer, her and Fritz' marital problems, and her entire family being in LA.

"Sharon Raydor…Sharon Raydor experienced some personal problems a few months back and retired with Andy Flynn."

The man's wife started to cry, and he continued to lead his tirade. "Listen son, you better do something, because if that monster is killing more girls than we have a goddamn problem! Your DA let him walk last time - track down Eddie Hanson, he'll tell you!"

Mitchell was about to say something when Andy Flynn stepped forward and rested a hand on his arm. "Chief Mitchell, may I?"

The Deputy Chief nodded, and stared at Flynn in wonder, like several of the other detectives who were trying to keep the situation calm. He looked odd without a badge or a gun, but then that's how things went when you retired. Next to him stood Sharon Raydor, looking a little pale. But that case had always had that affect on her.

"Richard, Carolyn, everyone, listen to me. Sharon and I are going to look over this case, the crime scene and every inch of the new evidence, see if it's our guy. If it's not, then we may have a copycat. If it is, then we're not going to let him walk away again. Detective Reynard, could you take the families to get some coffee, and maybe take Lieutenant Golding with you? Find out if anyone has contacted them recently. Hanson was screwed up; he may want to relive things."

Mitchell nodded, and the detective's followed Flynn's orders. The family members passed by, smiling sadly at Flynn and Raydor. As the crowd thinned, Sharon moved across to see Mitchell. She smiled at him, and he tried to act nonchalant but his mind was screaming in happiness. She looked at him sceptically for a moment. "You been killing teenagers at UCLA to get me back here, Stephen?"

"I won't tell if you won't."

They hugged, and Brenda watched as she saw Mitchell's face light up. She remembered him sitting in the darkened FID offices, missing the Captain. Their return had made everyone whole again. She felt someone at her elbow, and Brenda turned to see Tony.

"Morales has finally done the autopsy. He wants you down there straight away."

The moment was broken, and Flynn called for Raydor to come. The group, including Mitchell, headed down to the morgue. This wasn't going to be good.

X

Doctor Morales was having a very bad day. First off, the coffee machine at his house had broken, so he had to rush to the nearest Starbucks to buy something with a high level of caffeine in it. Then, getting into work he had had to deal with Terence who was once again lamenting over the blonde Deputy Chief.

His last problem had been the realisation that he would have to finally deal with the body in his midst. He didn't know much about the UCLA killer, but from what he could see and the reaction from one of his attendants, he knew this was one of his. However, he was determined to prove it before any conclusive evidence was made. Just something to prove it was a copycat rather than the actual man.

As he stepped outside of the morgue, he could see that there were several people arguing. He spotted Chief Johnson, Chief Pope, Chief Mitchell [a rarity to the morgue], Commander Taylor, Lieutenant Provenza, Lieutenant Williams and surprisingly Captain Raydor and Lieutenant Flynn. Shaking his head, he pulled off his gloves and put two fingers in his mouth to whistle.

"Okay, I don't care what is going on, but please stop yelling. Now, three, _three_ of you can come in here and have a look at the body and fill me in so I can properly confirm that this is our guy. I don't want to make any mistakes. I don't care which three. Just sort it out quickly and quietly. Don't forget to suit up."

He waited inside, looking at the poor face of the girl. There was no mark on her face, no scrapes or bruises. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. He looked up and saw the door open, and in came Commander Taylor, Chief Johnson and the former Captain Raydor. He shook his head and pointed at her.

"She can't be here. She's unauthorised; she can't be in this morgue."

Johnson rolled his eyes at him. "She's a former cop, Doctor, and she knows this case better than anyone."

"Okay then." His finger pointed to the corner. "Just stay away from the body. If the Defence realise that a _civilian _is touching bodies then your case goes out the window."

"We'll work on getting you your badge back, there's no way you and Flynn are going to be civilian advisors on this," Brenda muttered, and Sharon smiled.

Morales went through the body, showing them the place where she had had her throat slit, which was cause of death like the other nine victims. The killer had cleaned her wound, washed the body like it was on show. He also showed that she had been raped, but the only evidence was some minor tears and any other wounds had been cleaned up. When the body was finished, Brenda took a step back and leant against one of the cabinets. She hadn't wanted to hear any of that.

Sharon Raydor moved a little from her spot and looked at the doctor. "Did he take a lock of her hair?"

He moved her head and showed them the obvious hair missing. "Yes."

Sharon clasped her head and began to sigh softly. Taylor's fist hit one of the cabinets. Brenda leant her head against the wall. Even Morales knew what that meant. There was a soft knock on the door and Morales let Flynn enter. He was dressed and washed up, wanting to know the result. "Is she definitely from our guy?"

"How severe were you in keeping the lock of hair out of the press?"

Flynn shook his head. "We didn't tell anyone, it was such a kink that it was our one thing to tell who was being nuts and who knew the truth. We even kept it in a small number, we weren't sure that some officer may sell that little piece of info for some quick cash. It's happened before, and we wanted to catch this scumbag."

Morales turned to Flynn and turned the girl's head where a lock of hair had been taken from the scalp. "Well its either one of your officers, or someone told someone, or indeed we have the UCLA killer back in town. There is nothing to suggest that this is not the UCLA Killer."

"How many people knew about the hair?" Brenda asked, and Taylor shook his head.

"Me, Flynn, Raydor, Pope. That's it; we kept the hair to ourselves. That part isn't even in the cold case file, it was a risk we were willing to take but any officers can get hold of those files. You tell anyone about it?"

"Just Stephen. He's a bit of a fruit loop, but he's got two teenage daughters," Sharon admitted.

Flynn shook his head. "Provenza, Ray Hodge, and Chief Johnson. Ray's dead, murder is too much effort for Provenza and I don't think the Chief here would do it."

Morales sighed, slamming down some of his instruments. "So it's official then. Guess I should make room for some more girls."

They left the doctor to his business, and decided to go back up to the murder room. Now they officially knew it was the guy, it was time to get to work. They had a killer to catch.

X

They went straight to the murder room, the two boards pushed together to give an overview of what was going on. Provenza, Tao, Gabriel, Sanchez, Tony, Claudia and Simon were sitting at their desks, some with notes, ready to get started on the case. Will and Taylor had brought some chairs for them all to sit on, and Sharon was standing up near the boards, ready to give her briefing.

Andy looked confused about where to sit, until Brenda reached for his wrist. She pointed to the desk he had been sitting at earlier. "It is yours, Flynn. I've been saving it for you," she explained, and he squeezed his hand as he went to sit at the desk. Everyone else grinned as they saw him back with the squad, where he belonged.

Sharon stood up, pulling off her jacket as she stood in front of the group. Her knees grew incredibly weak - this was the first time she had seen a lot of them since the incident with Jimmy. She took a deep breath and tried to overcome the feeling of horror that was growing in the pit of her stomach, that everyone was looking at her and thinking and remembering what had happened to her. Pitying her.

She must have frozen as Taylor put a hand on her elbow and jogged her out of her state. He smiled sadly at her. "How about we start at the beginning Captain? With the first girl."

Sharon nodded, and got all the facts in order in her head. She could do this, she knew this. She was Captain Sharon Raydor, FID legend. She had the evidence on her wrist to prove it. She could do this.

"In the spring of 1998 there was a body found at UCLA. A girl had been murdered, raped and dumped in her room. We investigated her violent boyfriend at the time, and one of his friends who had a crush on her. We thought they might have done it together. Her roommate turned up dead the next week, and we arrested both boys for both murders."

Taylor grimaced, and Flynn shook his head, remembering what had happened next. "But while the DA prepared his case, another girl dropped dead. She had no connection at all to the girl, completely different studies, completely different sororities. So we had to go back to the beginning, search through the girls lifestyles. We had to let the boys go, one was killed on campus because people thought he was responsible for the murders."

There was a stunned silence in the room; everyone was finally getting to hear the complete story of the UCLA killer. A few had been there for it, but not all. It had been a dark time in the history of the LAPD.

"After the fifth girl died, we realised there was a pattern, but it wasn't much of one. They all had friends in the science department, and that was the only department at that time that didn't have a victim. We looked into all the teaching assistants, see if they had any serious connection to the girls, any criminal records."

Brenda looked up. "So where does Eddie Hanson fit in to all of this?"

Sharon's face grew into a snarl; it was obviously a name that didn't bear repeating in her presence. "Eddie Hanson, that son of a bitch. Our sixth girl died, he had a name in the press and we were under so much pressure to find that bastard. So we had another look through things again, and we realised that all the girls had friends in one class, and one class alone. Six girls scattered across the campus had friends in just one class. It was rare, but it was a breakthrough. So we focused on everyone in that class. The teacher, Eddie Hanson gave us profiles. The class was on forensics, one of the first."

Sharon met Will's eyes for a moment, before breaking away. "Our seventh girl died, was left in one of the teaching assistant's bed. We figured the guy got sloppy, and we arrested him. He didn't have an alibi, so we thought we finally had our guy. Parents were happy, we were happy."

Taylor sighed, picking up the next thread of the story. He had been in charge of that investigation, keeping his two best detectives on course to track the bastard down. "Of course, we found an eighth girl. She had been killed in the labs, wasn't even dressed and washed like the rest. He had removed the hair, something we had never revealed to the press. The psycho couldn't help himself. We let another guy go, and when Flynn and Raydor went to interview Hanson again, he…he had changed."

"The things he was saying about those girls…no one should ever have to hear that." Sharon closed her eyes. Will went to reach for her, but pulled back when she tore open her eyes. "By the time we had talked things over with Taylor and decided to arrest him, he had killed another girl. We arrested him, brought him under the DA. But before the trial, the case fell apart. We hadn't got warrants for some things; there was no physical evidence, no actual confession. Just ramblings of a forensic teacher and that wasn't enough to convict him. So the bastard walked and we never saw him again. And now he's back. Can't help himself."

"So you think that Eddie Hanson is back in Los Angeles to do what? Settle some sort of score?"

Sharon rubbed her eyes and turned to Brenda. "I don't know what Eddie Hanson is after. You know after all these years we tried to find him, we tracked people down, looked at all university and school killings across the country that we could get our hands on. But soon me and Flynn, we just…stopped talking."

There was a quiet silence in the room which ended with a cough. They all looked up to see Brody standing there. Provenza stood up just in case Sharon felt like smacking him - he could very well be the next Chief of Police, god save them all and him getting punched wouldn't do anyone any favours.

Brody smiled. "Captain Raydor, Lieutenant Flynn, so good to see you. You must be here to help out with the UCLA killer case."

"We are," Flynn stuck another toothpick in his mouth. The three FID team members stood up and snarled at the Assistant Chief, the memories of his dismantling still fresh in their minds.

He took it all in his stride and grinned. "I am sure Chief Pope will get all the paperwork sorted if you are coming back on staff, I'm sure he'll be very happy to help _you _out Captain. And just a little helpful hint, I would have a look at your original case Lieutenant. See if you haven't got any huge holes. Wouldn't be a good idea to arrest a fifth man who wasn't involved in this crime."

Flynn started to shoot forward, but Provenza and Taylor held him back. They didn't touch Raydor, who had a score to settle with the Assistant Chief. She advanced on Brody and looked him dead in the eye. "You think you know about this case? You think you've seen things, Brody? You try explaining to a mother that her daughter died in a place where there was so much security you couldn't _breathe _without getting a check. We did everything we could to save those girls, _everything_. Now if it wasn't Eddie Hanson, then we need to go over the case, like you said. You read reports, you go to press conferences, you just sit there at your desk. You try walking into a girl's bedroom with her entire life surrounding her and her dead body on the bed like she was _sleeping_. Imagine finding nine of those. This case still haunts us. Maybe if you didn't look down your nose at anyone who doesn't kiss your ass, then maybe you would understand that our job is _fucking _hard. And I would love to see you tell a mother that her daughter was _raped _and _dumped _like some form of garbage."

Brody snarled, but didn't say anything. However, Sharon wasn't finished. "Oh, and one more thing. You ever break up my team again, I'll shoot you and show you how relevant FID is in a modern police department. Nice to see you again Chief Brody."

He didn't retort, just stormed out of the murder room, most likely to run to the Chief. The FID team cheered and hugged their commanding officer, happy to have her back and defending their honour. Brenda smiled at her, before turning back to the rest of the group.

"Okay, after that interruption by Assistant Chief Brody, it's time to get to work. Lieutenant Flynn, I would really appreciate your help in interviewing Keighley Weaver's parents. Lieutenant Tao, I want you and Lieutenant Stoker to go down to the morgue, and see if you can check that the murder weapon matches both murders and then start looking into the knives in Keighley's dorm room."

The two Lieutenants went off, Simon squeezing Sharon's shoulder as they headed out. "Detective Sanchez, I want you and Lieutenant Belluci to go down and get all the information you can from the parents and family of the original victims. Sergeant Gabriel, I want you to do a background check on Eddie Hanson, full financial work up, see if you can figure out where he went. Commander Taylor, I would appreciate you drafting up a press release so we can get that out of the way."

The detectives started to move, and Brenda wondered what else she would need. She had so many people at her disposal now. "Lieutenant Provenza, you like younger women. I want you to go down to UCLA with Lieutenant Williams and see if you can find any connections to any of the other girls. I also want to see if you can get a list of all the staff that's joined this year."

Will raised his hand and turned to Brenda. "This was my first case here in LA as Assistant Chief; I'm here to help out. Tommy will be along soon as well."

"Great, Chief. Work with Captain Raydor here, and see if you can work out a profile for the killer - why does he kill these girls, what does his MO mean. You've got an insight into Eddie Hanson and this killer, Captain. I want answers, before I ask questions."

Everyone nodded and started to get back to work. Sharon moved over to the corner of the offices, looking out over the city. It was so different from the London skyline, and it felt so warm. This felt like home.

"Hey."

Will stood behind her, his body close and yet far enough to give her distance. She tilted her head to see who it was, and smiled at his face. "You know, I hoped never to see this guy again."

"We never do get what we want."

Sharon took his offered hand and clung on, the pads of her fingers going over his. He gripped back tight. "Did you miss it?" he asked, and she smiled at him. He had forgotten how beautiful her smile was.

"You want to know something Will?"

"Yeah, course I do."

Her hand rested on the windowsill, and he leaned over to place it atop hers. She squeezed back. "I have lived here a great chunk of my life. When I left, I didn't think I would miss LA. New York, of course. But in London I realised that there is no place like home. And like it or not, LA is that home."

Sharon turned to look at Will, and brought her hand up to stroke his cheek. She moved his face down to hers, and kissed his lips softly, taking her time remembering his mouth. "You're home, and I'm finally back."

Brenda smiled at the two by the window as she and Andy went off to interview the parents. They would get through this case, and then onto the next. As long as they had each other, they would get through it. That was what family was for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_LA Times, 16__th__ July 2010 [page 12]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews takes us through the possible Chief shortlist:_

_Today the shortlist for the Chief of the Los Angeles police department is announced, telling the world the five candidates who could become the head of one of the major police departments in the country. Before the list comes out today, I want to examine the likely candidates for Chief, and the wild cards that could be in play. _

_Assistant Chief Will Pope, current Director of Operations and the front runner for the race. He's worked with the LAPD for twelve years, and knows both the Mayor and the Chief very well. He's basically doing the job of the Chief now, just without the title, the power and the bodyguards. What could let him down is likely his reputation. The _LA Times _has uncovered that Chief Pope's two marriages ended due to adultery, and that he has dated his own officers several times. _

_Assistant Chief Julian Brody, current Director of Support Services is the likely second choice, and has worked at the LAPD for decades. He knows a lot of the players in our sunny city, and is well respected by many divisions. However, after the impromptu rally led by several LAPD officers, the people in charge are taking notice of who the LAPD officers want as Chief, and it isn't Brody. _

_Assistant Chief David Cole is the current Chief of Staff, and works with Chief Berrill on a day to day basis going over administration and dealing with liaisons to the LAPD. However, while Cole has a great deal of administrative and public experience, he hasn't worked with the officers in quite some time, and several of the officers we spoke to had no idea who he was. _

_Deputy Chief Tommy Delk, current head of the Anti Terrorism Unit has an amazing record, and is well respected by his own officers, and high rankers. He has made several high profile arrests, and was responsible for taking down the network that planned to bomb LAX in the summer of 2008. The downside to Delk's petition to be Chief would be the jump from working as a head of department to _the _head of the department. _

_Deputy Chief Robin Daniels is currently in charge of Special Ops. One of the longest serving members of the LAPD, he worked in Robbery/Homicide decades ago with current Chief Wendell Berrill. He is well respected, with a great amount of experience in dealing with the officers and with politics. However, the _LA Times _can exclusively reveal that Chief Daniels has been in AA on and off for the past ten years, and is close to retirement age. _

_There are many other candidates, but these are the five likely to be on the shortlist - the three Assistant Chiefs and two Deputy Chief's. Wildcards are most likely Peter Drake, head of Hollywood Division; Jonathon Rooper, head of Central Division; Jennifer Pearce from the Gang Unit and Brenda Leigh Johnson from Major Crimes. Possibly the best candidate would be Internal Affairs Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell, well respected within the IAG and those above his rank but there is no evidence of his consideration, and he is a great supporter of Chief Pope. _

_Check the LA Times website and twitter for more coverage on who is on the shortlist. After this hurdle there will be interviews with the Mayor before the decision of who will be the new LAPD Chief is announced on the first of September._

X

Outside the interview room, Andy Flynn hesitated. Inside were the parents of another dead girl, and he wasn't sure whether he had it in him to do this. How many would there be, he wondered, before he could finally put this case to rest? He watched the Chief talk to a uniform before coming to join him.

"You okay Lieutenant?"

"I just don't know if I can do this, Chief. I…" He turned to her, and she reached over to grab his hand. She squeezed it tight, and motioned towards the interview room.

"We should get started."

Andy pulled off the leather jacket he had, and secured the spare tie he had taken from Tao's drawer around his neck. He looked slightly more like a police officer now, and was grateful to be by Brenda's side while they did this. They went into the new interview room, where the parents were now sitting, and they joined them at the table. Andy gave the space a cursory glance around; it was the same as usual, just with a fresh coat of paint

"Mr and Mrs Weaver, this is my colleague, Andrew Flynn. We would both like to say how sorry we are for your loss. "

The father looked up at the name. "You were on the case of the UCLA killer the first time around. Do you think it's the same guy?"

Andy shifted in his seat, trying to avoid the running film of flashbacks in his mind. "We do, sir. And it is my eternal regret that another girl has been lost to this monster, _your girl_. Last time he got away was because our case wasn't tight enough - this time water won't seep through it. I promise you, however long it takes, I won't give up on finding this monster."

As Keighley Weaver's father gripped Flynn's hand, Brenda wondered whether she would be adding another DMV photo to her desk drawer. She looked down at the list of questions in front of her, wondering what to ask first.

"Mrs Weaver, can you tell me about any boyfriends that Keighley might have had?"

The mother looked up at Brenda and smiled sadly. "My daughter is gay, Chief Johnson. But she hasn't had any boyfriends since she came out, nor has she had any girlfriends. She's trying really hard in college, she's doing fine art. She's got a show coming up…my god, she had. I keep talking about her in the present tense, like she's still alive…" Her husband put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Andy looked at Brenda sadly, before turning back to the parents. "Just one more question, and then we're going to let you grieve in private. Does Keighley have any connection to criminology or anything like that?"

Keighley's father shook his head. "No. Her brother Jacob is studying law, he was going on this criminology summer school but he's had to cancel. He can't bear looking at crime scene photos."

"Understandable. What teacher was running that?"

"Professor Hadley, he does a criminology/psychology course. Jacob was praising him, apparently he's very good."

Brenda watched as Andy underlined the name twice. They let the parents go and went back to the murder room, waiting for the others to come back and find out what they knew.

X

Tony and Provenza were the last ones to come back. With everyone sitting down, Brenda was ready with the pen on the three boards that now spanned the Major Crimes murder room. Several of Robbery/Homicide had joined them, as had several members of Internal Affairs who were happy to have one of their own back at the LAPD. Mitchell had to quieten down his staff, who were talking manically with the FID Captain.

"Okay, Lieutenant Tao, Lieutenant Stoker, what do we have on the murder weapon?" Brenda asked.

Tao stood up and produced some blown up pictures of the knife wounds, with measurements and notes alongside it. "Keighley Weaver's throat was slit, just like all the other girls. Thankfully, the coroner at the time took detailed measurements, and we found out that the blade is thin for all ten murders. I'm thinking perhaps a steak knife, or a pen knife. A carving knife would be too big, and it hasn't got a serrated edge…"

Simon cut in, seeing that the Chief was growing impatient. "Tomorrow we're going to go to every major department store in town, every hardware store and see if we can't get an idea of what knife it is. Keighley didn't have any knives in her room, she had scissors."

Brenda nodded, and wrote their conclusions up on the board. "Okay, so we know the killer takes his own knife to kill the girls. Sanchez, Belluci, what did you get from the parents and family of the other nine girls?"

Sanchez looked at his notes, and then at Belluci. She let him speak first. "None of them have been contacted by someone claiming to be the UCLA killer. They had some trouble around the first anniversary of the deaths, but nothing lately."

"Some of them mentioned a TV station coming to them two years ago, asking about a documentary, and them giving a piece to camera. But that was two years ago Chief, everything's been dying down. Probably get some crazies now its back in the news again," Claudia added.

Will raised his hand from his place beside Sharon. Claudia smirked to see that her Captain and the Chief were only an inch apart, but not touching. _It must be killing them_, she thought. The Chief looked towards a few uniforms in the corner. "I want a uniform placed at the home of all their families, and any of their close female relatives, sisters or close cousins. I don't want any copycats hunting down the families, and I want any contact that the UCLA killer has to go to us, and not some news station."

Two of the uniforms went and enacted his wishes, while Brenda looked at the board. "Sergeant Gabriel - what do we have on the elusive Eddie Hanson?"

Andy and Sharon sat up straighter, wanting to hear what had happened to the man that had effectively ruined their lives for several years. Gabriel frowned at the Chief. "Edward Hanson, respected psychologist for several big police departments started a criminology/psychology course at UCLA in 1997. In 1998 he was arrested for the murder of nine girls, but got off on several technicalities. After that, he uses his credit card to buy a plane ticket to New York, but doesn't show up at LAX. He takes all the money out of his accounts, and disappears. I checked with the FBI and they haven't got anything. He's completely off the grid."

"So he's either dead, or he's changed his identity."

"Or it's not Eddie Hanson, it could be some other guy," Gabriel started, but a look from Commander Taylor quietened his objections.

"I've asked Buzz to fish out the original tapes from his interview with Captain Raydor. If that doesn't persuade you that this is our guy, nothing will."

Brenda wrote some more details under the heading of Eddie Hanson, and went with her second thought and moved to Provenza and Tony. "What did we get from UCLA, gentlemen?"

"Keighley Weaver has no connection to any of the other victims. We talked around and she seems nice, friendly. No one had any problems with her. We have a list of staff that joined this year, and staff that are starting for the school year, but we've got nothing so far, all the background and criminal checks are working out well," Provenza handed the lists to Chief Johnson.

"Okay, what about Eric Hadley, the new criminology/psychology lecturer? Could that be Hanson?"

Tony frowned. "We talked to him, had a look at his file. Problem is Chief, Eric Hadley has been working at UCLA for nine years, and he's been married for thirteen."

"We'd have had more girls if he was Hanson."

Brenda looked at the board, sighing to herself. They had a little more information, but nothing more to go on. Not until they found another girl, which they inevitably would unless they caught him soon. "Okay, Lieutenants Tao and Stoker I want a murder weapon by the end of tomorrow. Provenza, Tony, I want you to bring in every new member of staff for an interview and for fingerprinting - just to rule them out. Also, Sergeant Gabriel, bring in Professor Hadley and see who was working the gap between Hanson and Hadley."

Everyone nodded, realising that it would be severe overtime until they found this guy. Flynn raised his hand. "Ma'am, do you want me to help with Captain Raydor's MO investigation?"

"No, I want you and Captain Raydor to go home, get some rest. You've got jetlag, and I can't have you two tired on this. Commander Taylor if you could start the paperwork to get them their badges back, I would be more than grateful. Everyone, I want you to wrap up everything by midnight tonight and go home, back here at eight o'clock. We can't catch this guy when we're all tired and cranky. Good work today everyone."

Raydor stuck her hands in her pockets as Brenda walked over to see her and Will. Flynn soon joined them.

"Chief, Flynn and I really don't have anywhere to stay. We could go into a hotel, but that's probably not the best idea with the press sniffing around."

"You can stay with me," Will suggested, smiling at her. But his smile faded when Sharon didn't answer him back.

Brenda fiddled with the pen in her hands. "You and Lieutenant Flynn can stay with me until we get your badges back and you find a cheap condo or something. My parents are staying for a couple of weeks, so we've got the RV and plenty of room."

Will nodded and turned to the window. Flynn went to talk to Provenza, and Brenda looked towards the board. Sharon advanced on Will, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't…I need some time, back here. Every reason why I left is still there, I can't jump straight into your bed, Will. I just…"

His head turned in her direction, and his hand reached up to grab hers. He kissed her knuckles, and enjoyed seeing her blush. He wished they didn't have to have their reunion in full force of the LAPD, but until everything died down that was how it was likely to say. "It's okay; I keep forgetting we've been through so much together. Can we have breakfast tomorrow, talk about things then?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

X

It had been a very weird day, but Will was not glad to leave the cool corridors of the new LAPD building. He wanted the dream to last, for he was sure it was a dream. He wasn't going to wake up and she was still there. It hurt him to think so, but he had to think of his previous luck, and he'd had dreams like that before. Of course, in his usual dreams they made love but he _was_ mentally exhausted.

He turned the key in the lock and entered the house. He leant against the doorframe, thinking about how she had felt in his arms, how soft her lips had been. He remembered their goodbye, with Flynn waiting by the road for the Chief's car. She had kissed his cheek and gripped his hand so tight.

"Daddy!"

Caitlin flung herself down the stairs into his waiting arms. He gripped her tight, and she held him right back. Estelle had dropped them off yesterday evening, no explanation, but he was glad to have them back. Sharon didn't ask, but he knew her and had already made his mind up not to tell the kids that Sharon was in LA until she got settled. Although every time she looked at him her eyes brightened, it would take some time before they could be back to where they had been, if ever.

"Did everything go okay at work?"

"Yeah, it went fine sweetheart. Where's your brothers?"

Caitlin grabbed his hand and dragged him through into their dining room. There was pizza takeout, and Tommy was putting a bottle of ketchup in front of Brendan. At one end of the table, Anna Bradley was sitting, sipping a glass of water.

"We invited her over for dinner. We thought you'd be too busy and I'm too nervous to cook, so we got pizza," Tommy explained, passing his father a bottle of beer and motioning him to a seat next to Anna.

"Hey, Will. How's things going?" Anna asked, resting a hand on his arm.

A nightmare. He was in a nightmare, he was sure of it. There was no way his kids had invited over a woman who he liked but did not love just as the woman they all adored had returned. This was going to be incredibly awkward.

"It's going as best as can be expected. We had a couple of breaks today, but its early days yet."

Caitlin smiled a little at the table, the first time in ages; and Brendan was dousing his pizza in ketchup until his father took the bottle away. Tommy made conversation with Anna about the course he wanted to do at UCLA. Eventually everyone was full from pizza, and the children were sent upstairs to play with their toys. Tommy went to clear up, leaving Anna and Will all by themselves.

"I'm sorry for the surprise of me coming over. I thought they had told you I was going to join you for dinner."

"Nope. But that's my kids, full of surprises. Devious creatures."

Anna smiled, leaning over towards him. "Will…"

He coughed, moving a couple of inches away from her. "I need to get some sleep; I need to be up seriously early for tomorrow. I'm joining the investigation on this case. Thank you for coming over tonight, it was nice to see the kids look so happy. We'll have to work something out, dinner or something."

"Oh, okay."

Will smiled as Anna grabbed her coat and he escorted her towards the door. He was glad for her to go, especially as his heart was still beating wildly from seeing Sharon earlier that day. Tommy watched from the kitchen as his father led her out, giving her arm a quick squeeze as she left their house. Will sighed and leant his head against the doorframe. He saw his son out of the corner of his eye looking disappointed in him.

"What?"

"I like Anna, we all do. I'm not saying marry her, I'm just saying maybe you need to move on. Sharon isn't coming back," Tommy confessed, sighing.

"You didn't come down to Major Crimes today. Got caught up with something?"

"Professor Hadley wanted me to sit in on their last lecture, it's looking good. I'm in tomorrow, for definite."

Will nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Good, now I'm going to get some sleep, I want to be there early tomorrow. I'll put the two munchkins to bed." He moved towards the stairs. "Did Estelle say anything when she dropped them off?"

"Nope, just that her husband doesn't like having them around, still. Bastard. She mentioned something about the Caribbean, and it being no place for kids."

"It's amazing how you can love someone so much, and in the end you don't even know them." Will moved forward and kissed Tommy on the forehead. "Night, son."

Once everyone was asleep, Will settled into bed. He looked over some of the photos he had of his family and Sharon, smiling and hoping he could add to his collection. There was a light knock on his door, and when he went up to open it a sleepy Caitlin entered. Will pulled her onto his bed, wondering what was wrong with his youngest.

"Can't sleep honey?"

"Are you going to marry Miss Bradley?"

Will sighed, brushing her hair away from her face. "No, I'm not going to marry her. She's nice, but I still love Sharon. I miss her."

"Me too. That's why Mom brought us back, because Oliver didn't like me crying all the time."

He pulled his daughter into a hug, and she sobbed against his LAPD t-shirt. Will wiped away her tears with the corner of the duvet and gave her a soft smile. He hated to see his daughter like this, and he had the cure for her tears, it was just whether he could give it to her or not. "Can you keep a secret? I want you to promise not to tell Brendan or Tommy."

"I promise."

Will wondered if he was doing the right thing, but he hated to see his daughter cry. "I got into work today, and there was someone waiting for me."

Caitlin's eyes lit up. "Sharon?"

Will nodded and watched as his little girl started to beam. "Now, honey, she's still very upset about what happened to her in February, and although she loves us and misses us very much, she wants to give us all some space. We're going to start slowly. She misses you so much, Caitlin. She loves you so much."

When Tommy got up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, he found that Caitlin's door was open, and she was sleeping in her father's bed, with three stuffed animals and a snoring Will Pope. He smiled as he went back to his own bedroom, finding it a little cold.

X

Brenda's husband hadn't been very happy that she had invited more people back to stay at their house, but her parents had been ecstatic to see that Flynn and Raydor had returned. Clay was happy to meet Sharon for the first time, and so was Charlie. Dinner had been a huge home cooked affair, which both of them were happy for. They started to feel a little more relaxed back in LA.

After dinner, Flynn started to talk about things in New Jersey with Brenda and her father, and about how he had been doing some carpentry work. Clay had already requested a bookcase by the time Sharon came back from the kitchen, even though his daughter had tried to stop him. Fritz went over some case files, while Charlie went online to talk to her friends. Sharon excused herself and went to the RV where she would be staying until she could find a new place. Once she got settled in, she would have to call up Annie and get her stuff back from her.

In the full length mirror, Sharon pulled up her t-shirt and examined the scars going across her stomach. The product of one Jimmy Beatie. They weren't as harsh as the ones on her back, but they reminded her of the similar ones she kept seeing on the girls the UCLA killer murdered. Her scars were meant to kill her, but they didn't. They were just a constant reminder of how close she had come to death.

She heard noises outside the RV, and just as Brenda's mother Willie Rae entered, Sharon pulled down her shirt. She smiled at the woman, not sure what she should say to her. She wasn't sure what Brenda had told her mother about Valentine's Day, and she would feel awkward until she knew. Willie Rae's eyes looked towards her stomach, and she frowned, passing the woman some tea.

"Brenda told me you retired. And Lieutenant Provenza told me why. Now I know it's not an especially Christian thing to say, but I hope that Sergeant Beattie is burning in hell for what he did."

Immediately, Sharon burst into tears. Willie Rae moved over to the sofa with Sharon, putting the tea out of reach so she didn't break anything or scald herself. She put an arm around the woman's shoulders and made soothing noises, letting her cry herself out.

"It's okay, he can't hurt you anymore."

Sharon continued to cry for some time, with Willie Rae gently rocking her. Eventually her tears subsided, and Brenda's mother looked at her. "May I see?"

Sharon nodded and pulled up the hem of her t-shirt. Willie Rae looked at the two white scars, before putting her hand over them, tracing the thin white lines. Sharon's skin was ice cold. She could feel something, and turned sharply to Sharon, who immediately pulled her shirt down.

"Let's go for a walk, Sharon, I think we need to talk."

After saying goodbye to the people inside the Johnson house, Willie Rae and Sharon walked half a block until they found a nice bench. They sat down, and the older woman pulled out a thermos of decaffeinated tea and poured her a cup.

"So, how long have you known that you're pregnant?"

Sharon slid her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. "Bout a month or so. It never occurred to me to even check, I haven't had sex since February. I thought it was just my menopause or something like that. I went for a check up, and my blood work revealed a pretty big anomaly."

"So, you're five months gone? You're not showing. I take it you're not eating very well, you're all sticks and bones and your skin is as cold as ice," Willie Rae chastised, but Sharon didn't look down in shame. "You don't want the child, do you?"

She shook her head, an honest answer. "No, I don't. Ever since I found out, I wanted an abortion, but my friend wanted me to have a chance to see if I can bond with her. And then everything with the UCLA killer happened, and I'm back here and I can't do anything about it."

"Is there any chance it could be someone else's? Lieutenant Provenza mentioned that you were dating Chief Pope," Willie Rae suggested, trying to find a glimmer of hope in the situation.

"Provenza has a big mouth. We…I don't know, we might have slept together close to Valentine's Day. It was definitely that weekend, according to my doctor. She's Jimmy's, I can feel it. It's the way my luck runs. I really don't know what to do, I just know that I don't want her and I'm hoping she'll just go away."

Willie Rae squeezed Sharon's hand. "Your friend wanted you to wait a few weeks to see if you bonded with your baby?"

"Yeah. I was in London…you can have an abortion up to twenty four weeks. I had one scheduled for next Monday, but I need to be here, on this case. I can't just go back for my appointment."

"May I say something?" Sharon nodded, and Willie Rae smiled gently at her. "Sweetheart, your friend wanted to make sure you weren't making a very big mistake. If you really wanted gone of this child, you'd go back to London next week if you could. But, have you noticed what you've been saying? You haven't been calling the baby 'it'. You've been using 'her'."

Sharon looked down at her hands, and Willie Rae squeezed her shoulder. "We'll get you some vitamins, I'll make sure you're well fed and when the time comes, I'll be here. And you can decide whether you want to keep her, or whether you want to put her up for adoption or not. Even if she is Jimmy's, she's half you. And that half is important."

They talked for a brief while longer, but eventually walked back, where everyone was still doing the same thing. It was only Andy's brief protective glance over Sharon that showed that anyone had truly noticed they were gone.

X

Will went in early that morning after getting his kids ready to go to the holiday club. Caitlin had been grinning since he had woke her up, and he had to motion for her to keep quiet. He didn't regret telling her, he just hoped Sharon wouldn't be angry at him for doing so. He just hated to see his baby girl cry, and it was breaking his heart that he couldn't share his happiness with anyone.

He had wanted to use the LAPD's new café to take Sharon to breakfast, but he had stopped on the way and picked up something takeaway with plenty of orange juice. He knew her, and just as he suspected, she was asleep at a desk, files and folders surrounding her. Will moved over, and brushed her hair off her face, looking at her. She was beautiful. Sharon stirred under his fingertips, and opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hi."

"Morning beautiful. I brought breakfast."

She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked at what he had brought. "I was craving little hash browns. How do you always know?"

Will passed her a share of the bounty and sat by his own breakfast. They ate for a little while, Sharon draining her orange juice in one gulp.

"You in early this morning?"

"Mrs Johnson is determined to kill me with kindness. Agent Howard wasn't exactly pleased that we were staying with him. He's angry with Brenda for letting Flynn stay, do you know why?"

Will moved in conspiratorially. "Well, at the beginning of the year Brenda was asking Flynn to go on early morning stake outs of Stroh's house. She was completely broken up when he left, hasn't really been the same. And - do not tell this to Provenza or I may be killed - she wears his AA ring. Around her neck."

"You are kidding me?" Sharon grinned, enjoying the conversation. "Were they sleeping together?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I just think that Brenda sensed a kindred spirit in Flynn, and when he left…they're in counselling, her and Fritz."

"This job takes a lot out of you. You need someone to understand you, and maybe Agent Howard isn't that someone."

Will nodded, and decided this was as good a time as any to tell Sharon about his daughter. "I told Caitlin you were back." Her face changed instantly. "She came into my room crying, her stepfather had had enough of her and sent them both back home."

Sharon nodded, sad for the two young Pope's. "I miss her so much, Will, she's adorable and I love her. I'm sorry that my leaving hurt her so bad."

"It did to all of us, and to you." He reached over to kiss her on the forehead. "Baby steps. Maybe, on Monday night you can come over for dinner, and we can go for a movie afterwards. The whole family. Or just you and me, if you want."

"I like that idea. All of us. Will, there is something I need to tell you though…" Before she could talk to him, Claudia barrelled in through the doorway, out of breath.

"Captain, we've got a problem. There is some FBI dick down in the lobby trying to take away our case."

Sharon immediately joined Claudia on her feet and Will wasn't too far behind. They ran down to the lobby, where an argument was being held. Three FBI agents, including a very irritated Agent Howard were standing in front of the members of Major Crimes who had come in early to start the investigation. Flynn was standing front and centre, with Provenza, Tao and Tony behind him. Claudia and Sharon joined the standoff.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, but this is not up for debate. The LAPD had their chance to investigate these killings, and they screwed it up. The FBI is taking over this case, for public safety."

She moved forward and joined Flynn's side, noticing the badge on his hip. Claudia pressed hers into her hand. Taylor must have been quick with that paperwork.

"You think the FBI is going to do a better job? I could fill this entire building with the times you've screwed up," Sharon snarled, recognising one of the agents from her time in Robbery/Homicide. Seeing the look on his face, he recognised her too.

He stepped forward, determined to strike back. "Oh really? And the LAPD haven't screwed up? You're picture perfect? You let a nine time serial killer walk out your door! You let a six time rapist walk out your door!"

"And murderer. Don't forget about murderer."

Fritz turned around, recognising his wife's accent. She was looking at the FBI agents with disdain. Brenda walked up, putting the FBI agents in the middle between two sides of the LAPD. "I didn't realise this was even your case, Agent Howard."

He shuffled his feet before turning to look at his wife, regretting this entire situation. But with cases like these, they were always going to be on the wrong side of the divide. "It's their case. I'm the new FBI liaison to the LAPD - I'm trying to make the transition as smooth as possible. But the FBI is taking over the UCLA killer case."

Will coughed and moved forward, right in front of Fritz and the other FBI agents. He smiled. "Agent Howard, first of all congratulations on your new job. But the UCLA killer will remain here, at the LAPD. If you have a problem with that, I'm sure the mayor of Los Angeles, a close friend of both the Chief and one of the lead officers on this case, will be glad to talk to your boss."

Claudia leant forward and whispered in Sharon's ear. "You know the mayor?"

"He used to work with my Dad years ago."

Will continued to smile at the agents in front of him. "Listen to me. You can work _with _Captain Raydor and Lieutenant Flynn and Deputy Chief Johnson on this case. Notice the word _with_. Now play nicely with the other children, and remember this is my building, you do not have any say here."

As Will turned to walk away, one of the agents muttered something. "Not for much longer. Shortlist comes out today."

Will decided not to retaliate; he just left with Sharon and the other officers. The two agents followed suit, leaving husband and wife in the lobby. Brenda smiled at him sadly.

"Congratulations on your new job honey. And thank you, for bringing up Stroh."

"I didn't."

"No, you're right. You didn't, just one of your FBI friends did. Guess we'll have something new to talk about in therapy, now, won't we?."

Brenda turned to walk past him but Fritz grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. "What, like you wearing another guy's ring?" He pulled the chain out from under her shirt and showed her the AA ring. "What is this? What the hell is this?"

"It's Flynn's."

Fritz broke his grip on her, upset. "Figures. Are you sleeping with him?"

"No! I am not sleeping with Flynn, he just came back yesterday!"

"Straight into our house. Do you love him? What exactly is your relationship with him? Enough to be in tears for the past five months, enough to wear his AA ring around your neck?" He deflated, looking down at the ground. Brenda still didn't answer him. "I need to go talk to my boss about this new arrangement, this working together. I'll see you in an hour or so. I love you Brenda, I hope you realise that above all this other crap."

Fritz walked out of the LAPD lobby, leaving Brenda there. She started to cry, tearing up at her argument with Fritz. She could feel someone behind her, and Brenda turned around to see Flynn. He was wearing an old suit he had left in his locker there, so it was a bit crumpled up. He had his badge on his hip, and once he was cleared by behavioural science, he could have his gun.

"I'm sorry about…Provenza offered me his couch, if that helps."

"I don't think it will, Lieutenant. Because our problems are still going to be there, and at least this way, I have someone who knows exactly what I'm thinking around."

"Me and Provenza stopped by a coffee shop. I got you a chocolate muffin."

Brenda laughed and joined her detective in going up to the murder room. Today was going to be a long day.

X

Simon and Tao were examining knives. Gabriel, Tony and Provenza were interviewing all the teachers and other new staff. Claudia was trying to fill in the FBI agents with Sanchez. Flynn, Sharon and Will were going over the motives of the killer, and Brenda was going over all the old files. Will decided to go get a drink, and walked past the interview rooms where a tall man was coming out.

"Professor Hadley!"

Will turned to see his son Tommy come down the corridor, and turn to the professor. He had seen photos of Eddie Hanson, and couldn't see any resemblance. He'd have to suggest to look into family members of new staff, or perhaps even family members of the victims themselves, loathed as he was to suggest it.

"Dad, this is Professor Hadley, the lecturer at UCLA who may possibly be my lecturer next term."

Will shook his hand, and Hadley smiled. "Chief Pope, huh? The famous Assistant Chief. I'm hoping you get the job, you know. Major Crimes, it's an incredible invention. And your son, he's one too. His essay on transferred intent is incredible, and we'll be very proud to have him in this year's summer school and also starting his freshman year this fall."

Tommy's face split into a wide grin. "You serious?"

"Yes I am! It starts Monday, don't be late."

Tommy bounced in the air and hollered, before calming down and shaking his future lecturer's hand. Will then did the same, chuckling at how happy his son was. However, his face turned from happiness to his confusion as Sharon came out into the corridor after Will, looking to see what was going on.

"Hey. What's up?"

Will brushed his head, realising that maybe not telling all his children hadn't been the best idea. "This is Professor Hadley, he's just told Tommy he got into his summer school and into UCLA for the fall."

"Wow, well done Tommy! Sorry, I'm Captain Raydor, I'm a friend of Chief Pope's."

Hadley shook her hand, smiling at her. "It's a pleasure Captain; I've been following your career for quite some time. Always good to know the high flyers, I could see you going for Chief one day. Well, I better be off, need to plan for the summer school. Don't be late Monday, Tommy!"

When the professor walked away, Tommy turned towards Sharon, and then back to his father, not quite believing the situation. "Yesterday you were pissed I brought Anna over, saying Sharon wasn't coming back and here she is. How…why didn't you tell me she was here?"

Will put his hands up, trying to calm his son down. He didn't want the five months of relationship they had built to be ruined in one moment. "She only came back yesterday, and I wanted to give everyone some time before she came over, before she came back into our lives."

"Who is Anna?" Sharon asked, looking at Will.

Tommy clutched his face, and Will winced. He turned towards Sharon, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Anna is Caitlin's former teacher, who I have been going on a couple of dates with."

"I see. The woman you needed to move on with." Sharon shook it off and moved over to Tommy, grasping his face before pulling him into a hug. "I am so happy to see you, and you look so good. I have missed you, Tommy."

The boy started to shake, crying a little. Valentine's Night had affected all of them in several different ways, it wasn't only Sharon who was haunted by that night, but Tommy's attempt to kill himself was still present in his mind. "I'm sorry, if I…" She immediately brought him into her line of sight. "Don't you dare apologise Tommy Pope. If I can't, then you can't. It's so good to see you, and congratulations again." She turned to Will. "I better get back to the board."

As she walked away, Tommy cursed. "I'm sorry Dad, I really am. I didn't mean to tell her about Anna. My god, she's back isn't she?"

"Yeah she is son, and don't worry there is nothing to really tell. Come on, let's go tell Brenda your good news, she'll be very impressed. I am so proud of you, Tommy."

Father and son hugged before walking back into the murder room, where Brenda woke out of her reverie to give Tommy a hug and congratulate him, as did everyone else in the murder room.

X

They were back in the murder room after a quick lunch, sorting out through old reports trying to understand the mind of the UCLA killer. Simon and Tao had several dummies and several knives and they were trying to work out which one would cut the victims throats the best. Will and Tommy were working over some case files, while Sharon was talking to Claudia in the corner.

"So he's dating someone else, you that upset?" Claudia asked, and Sharon gave her a look.

"I'm not, I expected it. I just wished he had told me."

"Maybe he was going to. How long did it take you to tell him about your father? Or any of it? We've all got things in our past we're ashamed of, or we don't want to tell people. Like…did you know I had a sister?"

Sharon looked up from her files and shook her head. "I didn't, no."

"Yeah, I do. My Mom gave her up for adoption before she even considered having my brother and me. She came around this summer, wanting to find her biological Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, she's only my half sister, and Dad wasn't too impressed that Mom had never told him. She had moved on with my Dad years after it happened, she didn't see any reason to. A thousand times she had wanted to, but she had never got the courage. So they're not talking, but if she had mentioned it, maybe their entire lives would be different. Maybe I wouldn't even be born. And to be honest, I like the fact that I was born."

Sharon reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry Claudia."

"It's okay. It'll be weird this year. I'm not going home for thanksgiving or Christmas - Simon is still blacklisted because he's gay, so he'll be alone. He's my family. He's all I really need, I love my brother to bits but he's…"

"Biology only goes so far with some family members."

The Lieutenant grinned. "Yeah, that's it. Simon is just…well he's an idiot, what the hell are you doing with that dummy, dummy?"

Claudia moved from her chair to look at the dummies that Tao and Simon were examining. Sanchez chuckled at Claudia hitting him over the head with one of the dummy's arms and started looking at the knives. Will took that opportunity to come and sit next to Sharon.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Anna, I wanted to but really there is nothing to tell. We've kissed like once, gone on a few dates, that's it."

Sharon looked down and reached for his hand. "Will, I love you. But never apologise for moving on, if that's what you want to do I'd understand. I'm not exactly the easiest person to love, especially now. I'd forgive you if you wanted to just leave me and go."

Will's phone started to ring, but he ignored it. "If I wanted to move on, I'd have slept with her already. My penis does most of my decision making for me, you know this." Sharon couldn't help but giggle. "But with you, my heart was making all the calls. Damn it, I need to get this. But tonight, if you want, we could go to dinner, and I can drive you back to the Johnsons. So we can talk properly, rather than here. Captain."

"Sounds good. Chief."

Will left to answer his phone, while Sharon went back to the arguing Claudia and Simon. Tony was just looking on at the scene with amusement, not even bothering to help. Sharon stood up and gave them a look.

"What is going on Claudia?"

Claudia shook her head. "They're doing it wrong. It's a different mark if you just gash a victim across the throat; it's thinner as there isn't enough time for contact. Think about paper cuts."

"How do you know how he kills his victims, Claudia? Something you want to tell us?"

"Don't push me Simon; I swear to you, I haven't had a cigarette in twelve freaking hours. If I'm the UCLA killer, I don't strip my victims and wash them and cut out their hair just to cut their throats in two seconds. I take it slowly; watch the light go out of their eyes."

Tao looked at the markings of all the other girls. "The one girl that looked like he got interrupted…the marks are slightly thinner, but only by a millimetre or so. We didn't think it would make any difference as the width was the same."

"But the depth wasn't. Good work Claudia - look at blades that would do the width right, and take it slow. Go for hunting blades rather than steak knives. If he's taking it slow, he's doing it as a hunting kill, not as a dish for Hannibal Lecter's dinner party."

Sharon turned back to see Will, who had just hung up on the phone. Tao rushed into the Chief's office to giveher the news, and she came out to see Will who was sitting on the edge of the desk, looking down at his hands.

"Will, is everything okay?" Brenda asked, coming into the murder room.

He gestured to the phone. "Just got a call. About the Chief shortlist. Five names, five people."

"Who's on the list?"

"Is Brody on the list? Cos if he is, I may have to kill him."

Simon quietened Claudia, and watched as every eye in the murder room turned towards the Chief. He looked down at his phone and put it down. He looked disheartened, defeated.

"I'm sorry, Claudia, but he is on the list. Julian Brody is on the shortlist. As is Tommy Delk, Peter Drake and Jennifer Pearce as well."

Claudia kicked one of the dummies and the rest of the team returned to their work, realising that soon enough their old Chief was going to be replaced by a bastard who didn't know the meaning of true police work. Julian Brody was now the top candidate. It was only Sharon who was looking at Will suspiciously.

"You said five names. You listed four people. Who is number five, Will?"

Will smiled at Sharon. "Me."

He started to laugh and moved towards Sharon to hug her. She gripped him back tightly, and pressed her lips to his gently. "I am so proud of you. Congratulations, Will. You are one step further to being Chief."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. Do I need to shake your hand?" Claudia chuckled and the two detectives took his hand. Sanchez and Tao and the rest of Major Crimes did so as well. Tommy hugged his father. Will found his way to Brenda who threw her arms around him. He spun her around, happy.

"Thank you, Brenda. And thank you Stephen - you two have been amazing. I'm on the shortlist, I can't believe it!"

Brenda and Stephen hugged, and Taylor came into congratulate the man on getting on the shortlist. Claudia and the rest of Major Crimes were high fiving each other. Andy shook Will's hand before giving Sharon a brief hug. Eventually Will found his way back to Sharon, and she reached for his hand.

"I'm on the shortlist."

"You're going to be Chief, Will. I can feel it." She hugged him, and he enveloped her with his arms. They both closed their eyes, feeling safe in the other's warmth. Provenza rolled his eyes at the two of them, but Claudia chucked an arm at him.

"Lieutenant Belluci! Do not throw arms at Lieutenant Provenza, however much he deserves it!"

However, their joy was overturned when the two FBI agents from that morning came into the office, with Agent Howard. He looked towards his wife and handed over a case file.

"Just checked with the FBI database, and three girls were killed with a similar MO to this case in New York. This is now a multi state scenario. And thus brings it under our jurisdiction."

Sharon exchanged looks with Flynn, who was staring at Brenda. They could not give up this case, they just couldn't.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_LA Times, 17__th__ July 2010 [page 11]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews discusses the shortlist and what impact that will have on our city:_

_The two biggest competitors for this race are on the shortlist: Assistant Chief Will Pope and Assistant Chief Julian Brody. Deputy Chief Tommy Delk, Commander Peter Drake and Commander Jennifer Pearce round out the list. _

_This reporter is not surprised by the list; it ticks every box for every possible minority and allows everyone in the LAPD to feel represented by the candidates. In a multi cultural city full of diversity but with a prominence only on the rich and the beautiful, the LAPD needs to be seen to be above it all, and fully representative of the community which it protects. _

_Commander Jennifer Pearce is currently in charge of the Gang Unit and is likely to want to put forward more policies on keeping gang activities and crime down to a minimum in the harsher parts of Los Angeles. Commander Peter Drake runs the Hollywood Division, and while his tenure as Commander has some dubious issues to it, the path is also clear for him. The former Priority Homicide Division, now Major Crimes, was specialised on dealing with high profile murders. With a new Chief, this may revert to its old specialisation of celebrity crimes. _

_Chief Tommy Delk is the head of Anti Terrorism, and he'll get the vote of a lot of the citizens of LA who are worried about foreign and domestic terrorism in a treacherous climate. This reporter can see his former department moving higher up in the LAPD chain, becoming more prominent and with perhaps more funding from the federal government. _

_In looking to what Julian Brody would give the city as Chief, it seems the LAPD budget issues would no longer be a problem as several high profile departments would be cut. Force Investigation Division, created by current Chief Wendell Berrill and also Major Crimes, originally created by Assistant Chief Will Pope, Brody's obvious rival in the position for Chief are likely to be dismantled and assets directed elsewhere. _

_As current Director of Operations, Will Pope has had to cut the budget in several areas, dismantle Metro division and move the LAPD to a one week on, one week off system. However, it is likely that he would keep both Major Crimes and FID intact, the latter currently inactive after being temporary dismantled by Julian Brody. While both divisions work well, the sexual relationship Chief Pope has had with both Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and Captain Sharon Raydor would automatically suggest bias on his part. _

_Now starts the long road of final interviews until the decision is announced on the first of September on who will be the new Chief. _

_LA Times, 19__th__ July 2010 [page 1]_

_The worst fears of the city have been recognised. The UCLA killer, a serial killer from the nineties that left the bodies of nine girls in his wake, has returned. This was confirmed by sources inside the LAPD who announced that the body of student Keighley Weaver has been linked with the other girls. _

_If that wasn't more troubling, another body was found today on the campus of UCLA. Maria Benson, a history student in her senior year, was found dead this morning from circumstances unknown. While the FBI have temporarily taken over the case on a possible multi state scenario, experts have to ask if the national agency are any more suited to run the case than the LAPD, as another girl has died, this time on their watch. _

_Maria Benson's family was unavailable for comment. _

X

She found him on the floor of one of the LAPD bathrooms, chucking up everything that they had had for lunch. His face was white as a sheet, his skin was clammy and he was clinging to the bowl like it was the only thing grounding him in his life. She held on to his shoulder, trying to steady him as he shook violently. When his tremors had subsided, she filled a bottle with water and passed it to him, also handing him some tissue. He sat looking at her in the small toilet cubicle, not sure what to say.

"This is the men's room," he croaked, and she laughed.

She urged him to drink a little more water, small sips. She reached over and tightened her fingers around his hand, making sure he knew she was there for him. "I think I can be granted an exception. Are you okay?"

Andy Flynn gripped her hand tighter; feeling like gravity was finding him again. He looked at Brenda Leigh Johnson and accepted the tissue she was giving him. "Sorry you had to see me like that Chief."

"It's fine, Lieutenant." Her fingers brushed his. "I think Raydor's gone straight to the Chief screaming bloody murder."

"It won't do any good - the Fed's will take this case. We better get our things out of your place pretty quick, because the next time I see an FBI agent I'm going to punch them."

Brenda nodded and moved over to comfort him on the wall of the cubicle. She pushed the water bottle harder into his hand, and he took a few more sips. She was shaking a little herself, and Brenda pulled out a chocolate bar from her purse and broke off a piece. The sugary taste started to calm her, and she offered the bar to Flynn. He smiled, and held up his water.

"It's going to be alright, I promise."

"No offence Chief, but this is why we came back. Without this case, with this and everything else…I need a drink, Brenda."

She nodded. "Do you want to go to a meeting?"

"Yes, please Chief. I think…I really need to go right now. Or we could go to a bar; Merlot is your drink of choice, right?"

His hand reached over and gripped hers. They stood up together, and Brenda smiled reassuringly at Flynn. "It'll be okay, I'll drive you where you need to go. Best to leave Will and Raydor to deal with the FBI. I can't be objective, and those two are a force to be reckoned with."

"Yes ma'am. And…thank you."

X

The battle lines were drawn, and it didn't look like things were going to get better. The head of the LA's branch of the FBI, Special Agent Frasier North was standing next to current LAPD Chief Wendell Berrill, examining the report that had been produced by the NYPD of the murders of two teenage girls.

Special Agent Fritz Howard, liaison to the LAPD was sitting next to Will Pope, fuming. This was probably more to do with the fact that his wife had run after an emotional Andy Flynn, rather than staying to discuss this case. So instead of his wife he had Captain Sharon Raydor, who was not at all happy to have the FBI interfere with her case. Two other FBI agents and Lieutenants Provenza and Williams were also in the office, waiting to see what the two men in charge would decide.

"Well, I have to say that a multi state scenario would immediately put this case into the jurisdiction of the FBI."

The FBI agents started to look smug, and Will had to place his hand directly atop of Sharon's to stop her from rising up and beating them to within an inch of their lives. At least Flynn wasn't there - between the two of them they would have their hands full trying to stop an all out turf war breaking out.

Sharon was looking heartbroken at Wendell, who just smiled at her, urging her with his eyes to trust him. "However I've talked this over with Special Agent North and we've decided on an outcome that should satisfy both parties. The FBI will have this case for the moment. If they can definitely prove that the murders in New York were committed by the UCLA killer, then they will take over the case permanently."

She deflated in her seat, and the two detectives at the back looked ready to murder the FBI agents by the side. "However, before you all get so smug you won't be able to go out of the door, listen to me. I may only be Chief until the end of August, but I still am in charge of defending this city against murderers, thieves and rapists and I don't like people who swan in and take over my cases without the enthusiasm and dedication that my officers show. If the New York City cases are _not _connected, then this case immediately falls back under LAPD jurisdiction and the only FBI presence you'll have will be the poster in the lobby. Now, you're all dismissed."

Special Agent North took out the FBI agents, and Will gestured for Williams and Provenza to leave. That left Will and Sharon sitting down in the chairs in front of Wendell. His hands trembled for a moment before they moved away from the desk and wrapped themselves around Sharon, who returned the hug with vigour.

Many, many years ago, Chief Wendell Berrill had worked the beat with a fellow officer named Michael Raydor. He had seen the young Sharon grow up into a teenage girl, and then had the privilege of taking care of her when her abusive ex husband nearly took her to an early grave. He was the closest thing to a father she actually had, now that her own was gone.

When they pulled back, Wendell looked her over. "You're not eating enough. You better take care of her, Will. And congratulations, if it was up to me you'd have the job." Will smiled at the approval from his boss. "Despite the FBI idiots, today has been a good day. Now, go and unwind. I have a feeling that the FBI are clinging to straws, so this could be your case by the end of the weekend. Go and relax."

Sharon hugged Wendell again before grabbing her jacket and moving to the door. He spoke and she turned back. "We'd like you over for dinner this Sunday, if you'd like."

"I'd love to. It's good to be back, Wendell."

He kissed Sharon on the cheek and shook Will's hand, acting like a particularly overprotective father of both of them. Outside, Sharon's good mood on seeing Wendell started to fade again. She knew Wendell was right, and that it was likely they would soon have the case again. But that didn't stop her from feeling awful. Will's hand found itself wrapped around hers, and she smiled at the contact.

"He's right, you've been back a couple of days and jumped straight into this case. This break, however short it might be, could help. If you're still up for dinner, I made a reservation."

Sharon brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, I'd love to go. I may need to borrow one of Chief Johnson's dresses; Willie Rae is doing my laundry today."

"I don't care if you come in dungarees and a paint covered t-shirt. I just want to spend some time away from all this with you."

Sharon smiled and Will kissed her gently on the cheek. "I better go find Brenda, calm her down as she is going to go ballistic when she finds out. I'll pick you up later, and I promise - this date we won't be attacked by an insane killer."

She giggled, remembering their first date as he walked away. As much as everything was falling around her, she was feeling more and more at home.

X

He walked into the building he had done a thousand times before, it was practically home. He hadn't been by since he had returned from New Jersey, mostly due to the guilt he felt in the pit of his stomach. Instead of seeking their help the morning of his departure from LA, he had gone down the bottom of the bottle. But he felt okay, doing this now. Especially as he had his own champion by his side, one Brenda Leigh Johnson.

As she looked around the hall instead of waiting in the car, Flynn tried to put a name to what he was feeling concerning the southern cop. He had been thinking about her a great deal when he had been away, had been keeping her safe and out of trouble with Stroh for the first few months of this year. Seeing her with his ring around her neck made him feel all wobbly in his stomach, like a freshman with a crush on the prom queen.

She turned around and smiled at him, wide and interested in her surroundings. His heart suddenly leapt, and it occurred to him for the very first time that what he might be feeling was feelings themselves. Feelings for the beautiful but insane Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson.

He was incredibly screwed.

"So this is it, huh?" Brenda asked, watching as several people filtered in to the circle in the middle.

"What did you expect something fancy?" He joked, sticking his hands in his pockets. His tie was hanging out of one. "We used to get cake, I'll ask Joanie."

The meeting was starting to begin, and Andy hugged the runner, Joanie, and introduced her to Brenda. "She drove me here, she's my…she's a friend. Do you want me to take her outside?"

"Why do I have to wait in the car?"

"I know you're not good at anonymous Chief, but I think you know the meaning." That earned him a smack on the head, but Joanie was fine with it. There were several other friends and partners who were sitting to the sidelines with coffee and, much to Brenda's joy, cake.

The meeting began, and the group started to talk about how they had been dealing with things. It was Andy's turn to speak, and he stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets. He had been going to meetings for twelve years; this was not new to him.

"Hi, I'm Andy, and I'm an alcoholic. When I get stressed and it feels like everything is crumbling away, I feel like wanting to have a drink. A few months ago, I came too late to save a friend of mine from being raped and stabbed. I just saved her life, but…it wasn't good enough for me. I turned to the bottle, but it didn't last long. I've been sober again for five months now, and I really wanted a drink today, when it looked like something I have been working on ever since I've joined AA was going to end. Thanks to a friend of mine, I'm here instead of a bar."

Over to the side, Brenda was eating her third slice of cake while the others talked about how to live with an addict. As she was listening, Brenda realised that she should have gone to one of Fritz' meetings years ago - they could have been very helpful. They might not have had cake though, which was distracting her from the idea she was going to have one of her cases taken away from her.

"So, Brenda, what about you?"

She put her empty plate down and turned to the group, not sure what to say. "Well, I only found out that my husband was an alcoholic when it turned out that we couldn't get a saving on a multiple driver's discount because he had a couple of DUI's. We don't really talk about it."

One of the women piped up. "You should, you know, if he's comfortable with it. I was dating this addict once who wasn't comfortable with it at all, every time I brought it up he'd leave. My boyfriend now though is so comfortable with it he told me on our first date."

One of the few men in the group smiled at Brenda. "So how long have you been married then? I had no idea that Flynn was married."

Brenda was about to say something, she wasn't sure what exactly, but Flynn tapped her on the shoulder. The meeting was over. As they walked to the car, Brenda slotted her arm through Flynn's.

"I should go to Fritzi's next meeting. Maybe be a bit more supportive."

Flynn looked up. "Fritz is an alcoholic?"

"Yeah, I found out during that awful case with that awful ear doctor. Or eye doctor. I get those terms mixed up. Any news from Pope?"

He got in the car. "No, I'm sure we'll find out soon."

They decided to go back to work to see if they could find out anything. As Brenda shifted the car into gear, Andy put his hand over hers. "Thank you."

Brenda couldn't stop smiling all the way to her office.

X

His palms were sweating as he headed out of the car and onto the road opposite the Johnson household. It seemed a little strange, calling for a date at that house, but thankfully Sharon was waiting on the steps of the RV wearing a black dress. She hopped down the steps and down in front of him.

"Hey," Sharon smiled.

"Hey - you look great. I see Mrs Johnson finished your washing after all."

She grinned. "Yeah she did. You might remember this dress; you've seen it several times before."

Will began to remember - the night of the LAPD ball which had led them to their first night of passion and their first date which had led them to the emergency room. She looked as beautiful as ever. He was about to offer his arm when he saw Clay Johnson at the door, frowning in only the way he could.

"Mister Pope, I expect her home no later than midnight. One minute over, and we'll have a problem."

Will nodded and Sharon giggled as he led her to the car. "You've been informally adopted, I see."

"Yes, and Flynn too. He's inside making a bookcase for Clay. Where are we going? I feel in the mood for Burger King."

He opened the door to his car so Sharon could get in. "Don't worry; it's going to be something equally cheesy."

He took her to an Italian restaurant that was incredibly busy - but it meant no one was going to eavesdrop on them. Will waved to several people as they entered, his hand always tucked into hers. He pulled out her chair for her as they were seated, and the waiter came by asking for a drink order.

"Er…I think two martinis and a bottle of champagne wouldn't go amiss."

As the waiter went past, Sharon clutched his arm. "Make it one martini, one orange juice and lemonade please. And non alcoholic champagne." Will cocked an eyebrow in her direction, and she realised she would have to explain. "I'm trying to be supportive of Flynn, I don't want go home drunk, or even smelling a little of alcohol." It wasn't the whole truth, there was the small matter of her being pregnant, but it was good enough for the moment until she could figure out how to tell him.

He smiled at her, understanding. "That's perfectly okay. Although, you do know you're in the Johnson household right? Merlot powers that place."

The waiter came back with their drinks and took their orders, and soon enough they were left alone to enjoy each other's company. Will poured two glasses of the champagne and handed a flute to Sharon. He raised it in toast.

"To your return. You have been missed more than you can ever know."

They clinked glasses and talked a little about Will's kids and what they had been up to in the intervening time. Eventually their food came, and they ate silently, soaking up the atmosphere. Before the dessert menus were delivered, Sharon decided to have a quick breather in the bathroom.

She looked in the mirror, straightening her hair. Every other woman in the place was ordering a light side salad and the smallest plate of pasta the restaurant offered. Instead, on Willie Rae's strict orders to order big and rich to get her weight up, she had gone for cheese soaked garlic bread, a huge plate of lasagne and she was hoping for a rich ice cream selection. She was craving ice cream more than usual, something she was grateful for. Sharon wondered if she even looked pregnant - she was barely showing, but thankfully she had got a little colour being back in Los Angeles.

Moving back inside, she smiled at Will, who got up to tuck her in her chair. "I took the liberty to order dessert. I know how much you like your ice cream, and they have about ten on offer that you can get in a single bowl or a scoop from each."

Sharon nodded, and then started to laugh as four waiters descended on the table, bringing with them ten bowls of each individual flavour and two spoons. "This is amazing."

As her and Will started to dig in and find out which flavour tasted the best, he found he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She looked so bright, so alive…it seemed inconceivable that a few mere months ago she had been in a coma. This would be good for them, dinner out. Just small steps until they could return to where they were, hopefully. He still hadn't returned the engagement ring. He still carried it in his pocket.

She tried something delicious and dug around for another spoonful "Open wide, Will." He rolled his eyes and leaned forward so he could lick the ice cream off of her spoon. He smacked his lips, enjoying the rich taste. They then had to fight for the rest of the bowl.

He tasted a fruit flavoured sorbet that was really nice, and fed a spoonful to Sharon. In the end, when all ten bowls were empty, he looked over to her. She had, unsurprisingly, ice cream all around her mouth and chin. He took one of the napkins and cleaned her up, gently caressing her skin.

After paying for their meal, they went for a walk in a park opposite the restaurant. There was a fountain in the centre, and they looked at the flowing water for a moment, lost in the sound of the water crashing on the stone. Over dinner they hadn't really talked about what they needed to, just about what they had wanted to. It had been nice.

"Thank you for dinner, Will, it was lovely."

"It was my pleasure," he said, reaching down to grab her hand and kiss it. She smiled and then a thought crossed over her face. He had seen that smile before, and it had made him very wet. History held true as Sharon kicked off her battered heels and stepped into the fountain, paddling and getting soaked as the water came crashing down on her head.

"Come in with me."

"You're nuts," Will cried, but peeled off his jacket anyway and jumped in with her. He was immediately soaked through, and gave her a look.

He reached for her hips, pulling her flush against him. She reached up to steady herself, putting an arm around his neck. His hand clasped hers and they danced in the fountain, listening to the music of the restaurants across the road. Eventually they were swaying together, Sharon's head on his shoulder.

"I know you want to do things slow, and believe me I'm on board for that. I just want to know so I don't get my hopes up - is there any chance that we're going to get back together. I know I screwed up with Anna, but…"

Sharon bit her lip and squeezed his hand. "I need to get used to being back in LA, and not every day I'm going to be able to forget what Jimmy did. I still remember what Sam did to me, and I still get terrified. But, we're together, Will. As much as two people can be. I love you."

They kissed in the fountain, ignoring the water and concentrating on just the touch of the other person. Sharon started to shake, and Will realised she was crying. She had accepted she was back in LA, that she was back with Will and she had to accept everything that had happened before. She collapsed to her knees in the fountain, and Will immediately clung to her, holding on tight. She gripped him, needing to cry.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. I'll always be here."

He wasn't going anywhere.

X

He was working on the wood in the Johnson garage, putting together a bookcase for Mr Johnson. He didn't know the time - when he had left the main house Willie Rae and her daughter were watching television, Sharon was getting ready for her dinner with Will and Charlie was teaching her grandfather about online gaming, much to his annoyance and his wife's amusement.

He was finishing sanding off the main headpiece of the bookcase when the door to the garage opened. Andy first thought it was a chocolate monster, but it was his boss wrapped up in a duvet. How she could be freezing cold in Los Angeles he had no idea.

"How's the bookcase coming?"

"Good." He grinned. "Give me a couple of hours and it'll be done. What's the time?"

Brenda waddled over to see him. "Nearly midnight. Daddy is waiting outside, wanting to make sure that Will doesn't bring Raydor home late. Momma is asleep, and so is Charlie. No idea where Fritz is, he sent me a text saying he was going to a meeting and staying round a friends afterwards. This case was supposed to bring us all together, not drive us apart."

Flynn nodded, and continued to sand the intricate headpiece. There were several nooks in it, and he wanted to make sure they were all smooth so no one could catch any splinters. Brenda looked fascinated at what he was doing. "Want to have a go?" She nodded, moving forward. "Going to have to lose the duvet."

She rolled her eyes and reluctantly dropped the bed sheet to the floor. Flynn was incredibly happy she was wearing full length pyjama bottoms, with a vest t-shirt on top: just the right amount of clothing. She moved in front of him and he could see her nipples poking out of her shirt. He'd have to be very careful - he had always found Brenda attractive but with everything else he didn't know how he was going to react. Like drinking, he'd have to reign in it.

In her usual approach, she started scrubbing away at the wood, and Andy quickly had to rescue her. His hand went over hers as it fell down into the crevices of the wood, slowly smoothing them out. He gave a silent moan as he moved in closer to her, pressing his body flush against hers. She sighed, and Andy let her hand go to continue with the wood.

His body had other ideas about where his hand should go, and it immediately went to cover her stomach. She continued working on the wood. Feeling brave, his hand started moving the fabric of her shirt upwards onto her warm skin. His heart began beating wildly, and his stomach started churning as his hand continued to move upwards. Her hand continued on the wood, and his continued its path until it found the underside of her breast.

Andy wasn't sure what to do, but when he looked down to see the fine chain that he knew held his ring, he moved forward and cupped her breast, rolling her nipple between two fingers. His body crowed in triumph, and his mouth moved down to kiss her neck. As he started to pinch her nipple, his mouth moved over her chin and onto hers. She groaned as they shared their first kiss, lips overlapping. His tongue pushed into her mouth, tasting the merlot she had had with dinner. She was another one of his addictions, and he was happy to give into her. There would be no twelve step program to help him get over her.

The front door to the house banged wide open, and Clay was shouting, and Brenda could hear her mother sounding worried. They broke the kiss, and Andy removed his hand from under her shirt, leaving her to pull down her clothing. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were flushed and she so wanted to push him up against the nearest wall and let him have his way with her.

But she couldn't. She was married. "We can't do this. I…I want to, Andy, but I'm not sure if I'm confusing very strong feelings of friendship for anything more. I'm having marital problems with Fritz, I don't think that this is right, and if I go any further and what I'm feeling is just a reaction to what's going on, then that's not fair on you.

He nodded. "I understand," he said, in a tone that told her he didn't understand at all. She didn't understand either; all she knew was that she had felt good, wanted, for the first time in a long time.

Her hands moved around her neck and pulled off her necklace with the AA ring on the end. She put it into Andy's hand. "I think you need to take this. I can't wear your ring, even if it's just my version of a crucifix. No one understands but you and me."

"Maybe that's half the problem."

Brenda brushed past Flynn and went into the main house. In the foyer she caught sight of a shivering Raydor and Will who were wrapped in six layers of towels while her parents chastised both of them. She shook her head and went to her own bed, which was currently missing a duvet and fell asleep cold. When she awoke early that morning, someone had put it back over her.

X

Brenda woke up late on the Saturday, enjoying the mild break she was getting from the case. She knew it wouldn't last - sooner or later she would end up back in the murder room whether she liked it or not. Pulling on her dressing gown, she padded into the kitchen where she saw her husband drinking coffee. Her own mug with a bottle of honey stood next to it.

"Morning."

"Morning!" She sat down in front of Fritz, not sure what to say. She had cheated on him last night - she had kissed and been touched by another man, even worse one of her own officers. She didn't say anything, just took a sip of her coffee. He smiled and passed her a doughnut from the bag.

"You're not wearing the chain anymore," Fritz stated.

Brenda looked down at her bare neck, remembering the conversation she had had with Andy late last night. "No, I'm not. I've been doing some thinking, and I realised I just latched onto Flynn as he understood being married through the job, and we've been having some problems lately…I didn't want to face it, Fritz, that I would have to work at being married."

"Marriage is work, its living with another person. If a relationship doesn't have problems then it won't last, because you're not talking." Fritz reached over and grabbed her hand, stroking the back of it. "And it's okay, about Flynn. He moved out, anyway."

Brenda looked up from her honey coffee. "Flynn left?"

Fritz drank some of his, nodding. "Yeah, got in first thing this morning and all his stuff was gone from the RV." He paused, smiling before going over to see his wife and clutching her face. "Your parents, Charlie and Raydor are getting ready to go out for the day. If you want, we could get some time to ourselves. I can't remember the last time we did that. Everything has been so manic over the past few months…I have missed you so much."

He moved over to embrace his wife, and they started to kiss. This was where she belonged with Fritz. Her husband. Not with Flynn, however much he understood her. They could work things out, and with Flynn back to being an employee everything could get back to normal, before everything started to get messed up. As Fritz went back to his coffee and their breakfast, Brenda realised she felt numb.

The doorbell rung, and Clay Johnson got up to answer it. He opened the door to see an eleven year old boy standing on his doorstep, with bright blue eyes. Those eyes widened on seeing Mr Johnson.

"Wow. You have a _huge _moustache!"

"I do, young man. Now, how can I help you?" Clay frowned, wondering why he was there.

He scuffed his feet on the door. "I'm here to see Sharon."

Sharon was just coming through the house tying her hair up when she caught sight of Brendan Pope at the doorway. Seeing his father's girlfriend, he flung himself over the threshold and straight into her arms. She held him close, ruffling his hair. He was grinning at her. Sharon held the boy close, happy to see the young boy she identified with so much.

"I knew you were back, I knew it! Everyone was too happy."

She smiled at him. "Oh honey…please tell me your father is here."

Brendan grinned. "Yeah, he's parking the car. He wants to know if you want to come and have a picnic with us - we're going to the park today!"

Will appeared at the doorway frowning at his son. Caitlin appeared by his hip and immediately ran in to hug Sharon, who clung to both children just as tight. She had missed both of them. Clay looked at the flying children with amusement. Willie Rae came into the room, and asked what was going on. Clay turned to her, smiling.

"We're going on a picnic! Now, young man, can you throw a Frisbee?"

Brendan nodded enthusiastically from his position with his sister around Sharon. "I sure can, sir. I like Frisbees."

And so it was that they packed up the RV and headed out to Griffith Park. Willie Rae was driving; Clay was talking to Brendan and Caitlin about school. Tommy was being shown all of Charlie's college prospectuses and giving advice. Sharon was double checking over the picnic stuff, and Will was making sure they had all the sports things they needed. Brenda had stayed to have some alone time with Fritz, and they were happy to let them have a break from company.

When they got to the park and off loaded everything, they were surprised to see several of the others from work. Provenza was lying under the sun, Flynn was kicking a ball around with Claudia and Tony and his children while Sanchez and Simon were starting to lay out picnic things.

Sharon looked at Will, confused. "I thought it was going to be just us. And the Johnsons."

"I thought that everyone could use a break. This is our way of celebrating you and Flynn being back. Tao has to take his kid to the doctor and Gabriel is meeting some friends, but we're pretty much all here," Will explained and Sharon hugged him. His kids looked on, grinning.

Willie Rae was immediately in charge of getting the picnic sorted, and Tommy and Charlie joined some of the games the adults were playing. Sharon was sitting on the grass, telling Brendan and Caitlin about her adventures in London, and about the ice cream parlour she had worked at. She had missed the two kids a great deal, and it was obvious they had done too.

As everyone ate and played and talked, Sharon was grateful for everyone being there. She wasn't sure whether she could be a part of the Pope family just yet, there was still a lot hanging over them. However, she liked seeing the kids so happy, and joined in the football game with Will trying to tackle her. Eventually she took a break and sat down on the grass. Flynn joined her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Those kids adore you; I've never seen anything like it."

Sharon smiled, looking as Will swung his daughter around and then was begged by one of Tony's kids to do the same. "They're great kids. I love them like they were my own. I've missed them just as much as I've missed Will." She grinned as a hungry Brendan was chastised for using too much of the ketchup bottle again. "You okay, Andy?"

"Just thinking about things. How can you know something is so right and yet it goes against everything?"

"We'll get the case back from the FBI, I promise." Sharon squeezed his hand. "Oh, look, there's Scarlett O'Hara now. Thank god without her husband, I was ready to hit him this morning."

Will moved over to see Brenda, Caitlin clinging to his wrist. "Hey, I thought you were at home with Fritz."

"I was, but he got called away. Work stuff, about the New York girls. So I'm here - what we up to?"

Brenda was immediately brought into the group picnic as the two departments played. Tao and his family turned up and all the kids started playing a hide and seek game. The former FID team were playing with a Frisbee, and Sanchez was joining in. Brenda was staying away from Flynn, keeping to her parents and to Will, who was making sure his kids were safe. Provenza was asleep; Sharon was reading a book and trying to get a little sun. Flynn was talking cases with Tommy and Charlie who were enthralled.

Willie Rae came up to see Flynn, and the two teenagers joined in the game of Frisbee. She sat next to him and offered him a plate of sandwiches. He took one.

"So, Lieutenant Flynn. Are you in love with my daughter? You haven't taken your eyes off of her all afternoon."

Flynn choked on his sandwich, not sure how to respond to her blunt question. Provenza cocked an eye in Sharon's direction before closing them again, pretending to be asleep. Both were trying to eavesdrop.

"I'm not in love with Brenda."

"But you have feelings for her, right?"

Flynn so wanted to deny that, but after last night and after everything they had been through, he just nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do. But they're not going to go anywhere, she's happily married."

"Well you're half right at least Lieutenant. Just keep an eye out on my daughter, please?"

Flynn nodded and watched as Willie Rae walked away. Provenza moved up his hat and snorted. "Just be careful, Flynn. Taking care of people because you love them hasn't worked out so well for this department lately."

Sharon had put her book down as soon as Provenza had started speaking, and she was glad she had done. Flynn had gone straight for Provenza, his anger over taking him. Sharon had to jump up and fling her arms up on Flynn, stopping him from punching Provenza. It has been a dig at what Will had said to Jimmy the night he had raped her, and the look on Provenza's face was obvious - he hadn't even thought about it when he had said it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…I'm sorry," Provenza apologised, and Flynn started to calm down. Everything had stopped, and those that hadn't been privy to the conversation didn't know what was going on. Flynn started breathing heavily, and Sharon knew that he wasn't going to do anything. She took a step back away from Flynn, Provenza's words haunting her. She needed to get out.

"I'm going to go home, I'm getting tired and I didn't have much sleep. Thank you all for a lovely picnic."

Sharon picked up her bag and just started walking away from everyone. Provenza immediately sat back down, not knowing what to say. Her team stopped playing Frisbee, and just sat calmly on the grass. Caitlin and the rest of the children came from playing and she went to go after her, but Will held her back. He took his daughters hands and smiled sympathetically at her.

"Honey, do you remember when I told you that Sharon was back, and that she still had a lot of things she needed to sort out?" Caitlin nodded. "Well this is one of those times where she needs her space."

The picnic never recovered after that, and Will took his kids back home. Brenda turned around to see if she could talk to Flynn but he had gone too.

X

He had known exactly where to find her, and sure enough she was standing outside her old house. It was the same as it had always been, except there was a new family inside. Flynn put an arm around her shoulder, and she rested her head against him.

"I can play with the kids, I can go for fancy dinners but I just can't forget. I'm never going to forget."

He hugged her close. "I know what you mean. This is…" Flynn thought about it for a moment, about what he had said in the AA meeting. He had saved her life, but not all of her. His rescue hadn't been good enough. _He _wasn't good enough. "You know what, screw it. We're back, and I'm not going to be scared of a freaking house."

Andy grabbed her hand and they walked up the garden path until they got to the door. There was no car out front, so he took a pin out of his pocket and picked the lock in front of them. He put his badge on the chain around his neck, and opened the door. There was no sound coming from inside, but neither of them moved forward.

Both of them could see the spectre in front of them, of Sharon lying on the floor with blood leaking out of her stomach and crying out. Jimmy's dead corpse was there, as was Andy Flynn, pressing down on her wound.

_"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be fine Sharon. Ambulance is on their way."_

Covered in blood, the image of a dying woman and a man desperate not to let that happen.

_"Just let me go Andy, just let me go."_

Flynn's hand tightened around Sharon's as they saw the film played out in front of them. But, in Sharon's mind, the image of herself covered in blood was replaced by another image. A six year old girl running around in her father's policeman hat, eventually arresting her father eating breakfast at the kitchen table.

Sharon took one step forward into the house, ignoring the bloody scene in the hallway, her rape in the kitchen, but concentrating on her and her father playing scrabble in the living room. She could feel the heavy hot breath of Jimmy on the back of her neck, but she concentrated. She saw her father smile at her as she won the game.

Her father held her hand as he lifted her up and joined in her dance of triumph. Flynn's hand joined hers. "You know, I grew up in this house. My father moved here when I was two, he got a lot of money in the divorce - enough to get this place. I don't have any memories of New York or my mother. My first memory is of running down the stairs and arresting my father at the breakfast table. I was about four. I remember Parker Centre; I remember this house so much."

He gripped tighter, listening to her talk about the house. "My Dad would play poker with the Mayor, the Chief, everyone. The now Mayor and Chief, that is. I managed to get this place when I moved back here, over twenty years ago. Will and me made love for the first time in my bed upstairs. He set my smoke alarm off the morning after. I shouldn't have let Jimmy take this house, but he did, and it's gone. One step at a time, Andy. I'm not going to let him take me."

They left Sharon's old house. Flynn was the first to leave, and Sharon did after looking at the new kitchen Annie must have put in after she had wrecked the previous one with her baseball bat. She closed the door, locking it back up. She would start looking through real estate places soon, find somewhere where she and Flynn could rent for the time being until they got properly settled.

They decided to move into a hotel room until they could find somewhere semi permanent - Flynn didn't want to be around Provenza and Sharon felt it would be better to be alone for a little while, just to think and sleep. She felt like a fifteen year old girl again, father dead and nowhere to go. But there had been Ben who came in her bed and held her until she stopped crying. There were no tears this time, just laughs as her and Flynn abused the hotel room's cable, lying on a single bed together.

X

Caitlin and Brendan had been quiet the rest of the weekend, and Will could see now why Sharon truly hadn't wanted him to tell them she was back. However much she acted like she was okay, there was still plenty she had to deal with, and some she could only deal with alone. The kids were going to a holiday club for a few days, Tommy was starting his summer school and he was going to go into work, see how Sharon was doing.

Tommy was excited as anything, and waved goodbye as he raced out the door to get to the university. Caitlin and Brendan were getting their stuff packed up when there was a knock on the door. Will, tie half round his neck, pulled it open, expecting to see a postman. Instead it was Sharon with some breakfast. She smiled at him.

"I wanted to apologise to Caitlin and Brendan for running off on Saturday. And I thought breakfast was a good idea."

Will welcomed her in, and the two kids waved at her from the kitchen. She brought the breakfast in, and the two kids immediately got stuck into the pancakes. They ate their food in a relaxed silence, and Will couldn't help but enjoy having his kids and the woman he loved at the same table. Once Sharon had finished her food, she turned to the two young Pope's.

"I wanted to apologise for Saturday, I got upset about something and I needed to be by myself."

"It's okay, I get that sometimes. When the kids at school pick on me, I go into the library and read. It's good then, because I do something I like," Brendan said, understanding. He smiled at her across the table, before trying to reach for the ketchup bottle again. His sister pulled it back from him.

Sharon smiled and Will looked at his watch, realising he would have to get his kids to the holiday club. He announced the time and ushered the kids out of the kitchen, but Caitlin kept sitting at the table and looked towards Sharon. "When do we get to see you again? We miss you."

She thought it over in her head, wondering how she could make a balance of both worlds. "How about, we all go to the cinema on Wednesday night - see the new _Toy Story _film. What do you say to that?"

"Sounds good." The two kids grinned and gave Sharon quick hugs as they headed to get their stuff. Will turned to Sharon, and she did up his tie for him, stroking down the fabric.

"I better get to work, I've got my psych evaluation today, they want to see if I can use my gun." Will kissed her hand, making her smile. It was the little things that mattered to her - like his love. She could always count on that.

"Go get 'em babe. And thank you for this; I'm looking forward to Wednesday."

Sharon grinned, feeling excited for the first time in a long while. "Me too."

X

She had got into work as early as she could, and was not surprised to see Flynn at his desk. He smiled at her, and gestured to the extra cup of coffee. She walked over and took it, grateful. She wasn't sure how to react with him, so she just decided to play it by ear, see if they could re-establish their old relationship.

"Morning Chief."

"Morning Lieutenant."

She brushed a lock of hair off of her face and decided to share her good news. Flynn could see that she had an extra bounce in her step.

"I talked to Fritz, and by talked I mean I eavesdropped on his conversation with his FBI buddies. The New York girls don't match; he hasn't taken a lock of her hair. The case is about to return to us this morning!"

Flynn jumped up, throwing his arms around Brenda. She gripped him back tightly. When they broke apart, they looked at each other. Her hand was gripping his arm, and his hands had moved down to her waist. Both were slightly trembling, unsure of where to go from there.

"It's good we're getting the case back."

"Yeah, it is." She smiled, not wanting to move her hand at all, but she had to and she did. "If we're going to work together, then there can't be any of this between us. I'm married; Andy, and me and Fritz are repairing things."

"It's okay, I understand. If you're happy that's the main thing." He nodded reluctantly, trying to look sad. It didn't last long; the happiness of the case overwhelmed him. "Well the main thing is we're getting the case back, I'm getting a second chance to put this monster behind bars!"

They continued to laugh and they hugged again, holding on tighter than they should. Fritz watched them, wondering when he should cough and announce to his wife that he was there.

X

Tommy entered the halls of UCLA, seeing the added security of FBI Agents posted around every exit. It was a big campus, but they weren't taking any chances. He had had to provide three forms of ID just to get in! But soon enough he was walking through the corridors, heading down to the lecture theatre for his criminology summer school.

The lights were off when he went inside; he was technically half an hour early for the start. But he had been so damned eager that he was now the first one to arrive. He checked for a light switch, and found that they were motion dependant. As he moved down the stairs, he saw that there was someone lying on the floor. He supposed if you kept really still then you could use the lecture halls for a nap.

But as all the lights came on, Tommy realised that the girl didn't need to keep really still. As he advanced on the body, he saw that she was naked, and that there was a thin line where her throat had been slit. There was a glassy look in her eyes, and her skin was deathly pale. Tommy, shaking, knelt down to see if he could have a closer look, not touching. When he saw what he needed to, his terror overcame him and he started to scream.

The young girl was missing a lock of hair.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_LA Times, 6__th__ May 1998 [page 1]_

_Devastation struck once more at UCLA as Pre Med student Leah Carver was found brutally murdered yesterday. She is now the fifth victim of the UCLA killer, a monster dubbed as so because he murders innocent female students at the Californian College. Leah is survived by her mother and father, and her sister Abigail, currently studying at USC. _

_Several arrests have been made, but no one has been charged by the District Attorney. Jackson Laurie, boyfriend to the first victim of the UCLA killer Madeline Parker, was thought to have planned the murder of his girlfriend and roommate April Danes. His best friend Tyler Gray was also arrested, but no charges were brought to either. Laurie was later killed on campus in a riot by his other classmates who believed him to be the murderer. No charges were ever filed for those responsible. _

_Leah was a much loved student at UCLA and she will be greatly missed. The LAPD still have no leads, and are perusing all avenues of investigation. _

_From . , updated 20__th__ July 2010_

_The case of the UCLA killer is a unique one, and has puzzled police officers for years. How does the killer stun his victims? How can he alleviate the blood flow and keep the body so still while washing? And how did he manage to kill nine girls, and kill eight of them and leave their bodies without being undetected? _

_When Madeline Parker was found on that fateful April day, she was discovered washed clean of any fibres the police could use to trace the killer. The thin cut around her neck was what was thought to be cause of death, and an examination of her blood proved to be pointless as no poison was ever found. However, while these deaths could be easily faked by anyone trying to be a copycat, the police always kept something back to prove who the real UCLA Killer was. _

_This website can reveal that the mysterious fact was that the killer took a lock of the victim's hair for some unknown purpose. Such an obvious kink would be an easy trait for copycat killers to replicate, and also would be easy for the LAPD to identify real cases. This is perhaps why the girls reported to be possible victims in New York were easily dismissed by the FBI as victims of the same man. _

_A great many documentaries have centred on the idea of how the UCLA Killer chooses his victims. One theory the LAPD pursued with person of interest Eddie Hanson was that he was using his own students as pimps, seeing who their friends were and choosing his victims from there. However, no charges were ever brought against Hanson. _

_How does he get around UCLA without anyone finding him? Twelve years ago and now this summer there are agents and police officers all over the campus. Perhaps he is a student? Or a professor who knows all the hidden passageways of the College? He could be a fire fighter, a police officer or an FBI agent who is using his badge as an accessory to murder. _

_Only time will tell the secrets of the UCLA Killer, although it is likely he will take those to the grave._

X

"Morning."

Andy immediately withdrew his arms around Brenda as her husband came into the room. Brenda went to his side and slotted around him. They looked awkward together, like they were trying to put on a show for Flynn. He watched as Fritz kissed Brenda on the head, watching him with slanted eyes. He saw right through him, but Andy didn't care. He wasn't going to fight Howard for his wife, however much his body was aching to club the FBI Agent and take the blonde to his side. He didn't want to wreck a marriage. If it naturally imploded, fair dues. But he wasn't going to force a decision that the Chief didn't want to make. That wouldn't be good for anyone.

"So Chief Johnson was telling me that the girls in New York don't match the girls in LA? Guess we'll be seeing our case files back sometime soon, huh," Flynn said, finding a toothpick out of his pocket and sticking it between his teeth. He grinned.

Fritz looked at his wife for a moment before turning back to Flynn. He plastered on the same smug smile on his own face. "Yeah it's true the girls don't match. But don't worry Lieutenant, we'll still be around to help you out, give you some advice in interrogations of suspects, making sure all your warrants are in place. It'll be fine. We'll catch the guy this time."

The team started filtering through, oblivious to what was going on, the standoff between the two men. Fritz moved away from Brenda and stood opposite Flynn, whose face was growing red with anger. "Well thank God the FBI is here, I'm sure no one will get hurt in your impenetrable wall of bullshit."

Brenda decided to step between the two men at that point and sit down on Flynn's desk, stretching out her legs. Flynn watched the motion of her limbs, and Fritz didn't seem very impressed by the way he was ogling his wife. Brenda just turned around to her team, hoping for some assistance.

"Lieutenant Tao, we got any information on that murder weapon?"

Before he and Simon could respond, Claudia came running into the murder room. Brenda immediately stood up straight and helped the detective breathe.

"Sorry Chief, but the FBI fucked up. Another girl was murdered; we've got a crime scene at UCLA."

Brenda groaned and turned to her team who had started to stand. "Okay people, UCLA it is. Lights and sirens everyone, lights and sirens."

Flynn smiled at Fritz as they all trouped out of the office, onto another crime scene and another girl.

X

Sharon was waiting, looking at the new office of the department shrink. She'd been to see the old shrink years ago when she had first joined the LAPD and everyone, namely Wendell, was concerned about her mental state. So she had gone and she had sat and she had been absolutely bored out of her mind as he analysed her ugly divorce and her vigorous domestic abuse. And now she sat once again to discuss how she had been abused by a man and whether or not she was fit for duty.

"So…Captain, how are you?" The shrink was pretty, brunette and either entirely naïve or truly believed that the school of sympathetic psychiatry actually worked.

Sharon smiled and put her hands in her lap, trying to paint a happy portrait when she felt like screaming. "I'm okay actually. I'm not taking the medication I was prescribed for the pain any longer, so I feel much healthier. I ran for about two k this weekend as well - it's a work in progress but I'm getting there."

The psychiatrist looked over the notes that came with her file and instantly paled. Sharon smiled and sat back in her seat. She had been seeing shrinks since the age of fifteen; she had been examined and been put through every theory known to man. There was nothing this doctor could do that she couldn't do herself - except sign the little bit of paper that brought her back to work.

"Well, I just want to let you know that this is just a routine investigation, wanting to make sure you're okay to handle a gun again. Usually we'd build it up over a series of sessions, but I know the UCLA killer case is a hot issue at the moment and you're at the forefront of that. I have no issue with both you and Lieutenant Flynn returning to active duty, I just want the marksman at the shooting range to sign off on you in a session tomorrow afternoon, and then everything will be okay."

Sharon dug around in her bag and handed over a piece of paper, which the doctor took with a pale face. "I was bored yesterday afternoon so I went and saw him. Perfect shot, as usual. God, I hope I'm not stepping on your toes."

She was provoking the shrink, she knew she was. But she was bored, and didn't want to go over the usual stuff about her nightmares, her medication, what had happened with Jimmy, what had gone on with Sam. She had stock answers to all her questions now.

"Have you been having any nightmares? Your notes say you were getting them quite regularly a few years ago, you got a prescription for sleeping pills."

"Yes I have nightmares, so what?"

The Doctor leaned forward, putting a hand on Sharon's knee. "It's okay to talk about them, you know. This is a place where you can feel open about things, talk to me about things. So, what do these nightmares represent?"

"Usually Sam, usually my father. Nothing really about Jimmy, guess my dreams are as fucked up as it is."

The shrink made a note on her piece of paper and Sharon checked her watch. She wondered how long she had left to go. There were several more questions that she usually got asked. "How do you feel regarding the shooting of Sergeant Beatie? He was your officer after all; you trained him, were part of his life. Any remorse for his death?"

Sharon started to giggle, alarming the psychiatrist. She stood up, turned around and pulled the hem of her shirt up at the back. She showed the scars Sam had left. "I loved him, and he did this to me. If he got run over, the world would be short one more psycho." She put her shirt down and lifted up the front, showing the front of her body and the two scars where Jimmy had stabbed her. "I trusted him, and he did this to me. Flynn shot him, and if he hadn't I would be dead and the world would have been short one good cop."

She sat down, and the shrink decided that she should leave the inflammatory questions alone. She had wanted to provoke a response, and she had got one. "How is the rest of your life going? I think its common knowledge that you were in a relationship with Will Pope before your retirement, how is that?"

"Complicated. I don't want to rush things; he doesn't want to rush things so we're going it slow."

"You were staying with Chief Johnson and her family weren't you?"

Sharon sighed, remembering Saturday morning when she had rushed out of the picnic. "I was, yes. I'm now sharing a hotel room with Lieutenant Flynn until we can find somewhere else."

The doctor was about to ask another question when there was a knock on the door and Claudia barrelled through, not caring whose office she was barging into. Sharon loved that and had missed that about her. The doctor looked distressed but Sharon grabbed her bag and stood up.

"They found another girl at UCLA."

Sharon nodded and turned towards the doctor. "Got to go, sorry Doc."

The shrink sighed and wrote something down on a piece of paper. "I'm clearing you for full active duty, pending a satisfactory report at the shooting range tomorrow afternoon with Lieutenant Flynn. Come and see me if you have any problems, Captain, and good luck."

Sharon smiled at the doctor and Claudia gave her a thumbs up as they headed out to UCLA.

X

Sharon was the first one on the scene from the main staff. As she went down the stairs, she saw that the body still hadn't been moved. She remembered the eighth girl that had been left in a lecture hall - he had taken the hair but the rest of the MO had been disturbed. This girl was the whole shebang - naked and cleaned and slit. An officer at the side reached for her elbow.

"Ma'am? The boy who found the body is Chief Pope's son. This is where they were supposed to have their summer school, and he was the first one to show up."

She nodded and made her way over to the corner where the paramedics had draped a blanket over Tommy's shoulders and had given him a glass of water. He was talking to the lecturer, Hadley. When he saw Sharon he stood up and shook her hand. Tommy gripped her free one, and she kissed the boy's head and sat next to him.

"Tommy, you going to tell me what happened?"

He nodded; his voice shaky. "I went in here early, all the FBI agents had cordoned everything off but I got in. So I came in here, and I saw the body and I checked. Because when I was at work with you all we were talking about the MO and about the bit of hair. She had a lock of hair missing and I started to scream. Such a wimp."

Sharon squeezed Tommy tight, hugging him close. His hands were ice cold. "You're not a wimp, Tommy, honey. You're a good young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I remember seeing these the first time, I was much older and much wiser than you are now and I went pale and threw up all my lunch. It'll be okay. One of the officers called your Dad; it's going to be fine."

She left Tommy alone to talk to Hadley for a moment. "Thank you for helping him, he seems to really look up to you. What's going to happen to your summer school?"

Hadley shook his head. "As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to have to cancel it. I can't have kids playing detective with what they use in my class - last time they had vigilante killings. I'll call up the board, the kids - see what they think. But I can't subject Tommy to any more crime scene photos, not when he's seen the real thing. Take care of him, will you? He's a very special kid."

"I will, and thank you."

As Hadley moved off, Sharon could see the members of Major Crimes coming down the steps. Tao and Simon immediately went to the SID personnel and the rest followed Brenda as she looked at the body. Sharon joined her.

"Who found the body, Captain?"

"Tommy Pope. His Dad's been called, he'll get him to make a statement," Sharon answered, and Brenda gave a quick look over the boy in the corner.

Brenda put on the leather gloves and immediately turned and bumped into Flynn, who both jumped and moved far apart from each other. She shook her head, shaking off the feeling and moved onto sorting out the case and her detectives.

"Okay, Lieutenant Tao and Lieutenant Stoker - match the murder weapon please. Sergeant Gabriel I want you to get Commander Taylor and make sure that everything is still secure in the press, this room doesn't look awfully secure and there were plenty of students milling about. Captain, Flynn: with me, the rest go interview anyone and everyone you can find. I want her name, I want her background, I want her family and I want to know if she has any connections to criminology or Keighley Weaver."

Sharon put on gloves and swallowed back bile as she looked over the girl. Brenda kept shifting past whenever she brushed against Flynn. When Flynn touched her hand she snapped it back. Sharon rolled her eyes and concentrated on the body in front of her. The girl was young, brunette with green eyes. She felt a shiver as she looked at her, and concentrated instead on the wound around her neck - so like the other girls. They would have to wait until an autopsy to figure out whether she was sexually assaulted but it looked likely.

Gabriel came back fuming. Andy helped Brenda to stand up but immediately moved out of his grasp. The Sergeant started talking. "The FBI agents have let it slip in their statement that a lock of hair was missing for the girl."

"Great, that's just brilliant." Brenda sighed, her headache growing. "So we can't weed out copycat killers, nor can we rule out false confessions now. Fucking FBI!"

They had never really heard the Chief swear before, and although Flynn wanted to go to comfort her, he just returned to the body. She would push him away anyway; their little talk that morning hadn't helped anything. He looked at the girl and then at Raydor.

"She looks like you."

Brenda turned around to see where they were looking at the girl and noticed the similarity. "Unless she was born in New York and was studying whatever Captain Raydor did, I don't think we have to worry. I'll get them to do a thorough background check. I want that motive, please, Captain. I need something that we can use to get a handle on this case."

As everyone continued to mill around the dead girl, the door opened to the left and Will Pope came running down the stairs. Tommy saw his father and immediately welcomed the hug he gave. Sharon looked at father and son sadly and then back at the girl. Another family she would have to inform. How many more, did she wonder, would she have to tell?

As she looked across the girl, she could see that Flynn was thinking the same thing.

X

Later on, Sharon was looking over the crime scene photographs from that morning, wondering where they had all gone so wrong. She hated that they were now on eleven girls, and she made a mental note for in her next free moment to leave flowers on the previous nine graves. There would be a funeral for the first new victim, Keighley Weaver, next week, now that the body had been released under severe pressure from the family representative. She would have to find something tasteful to wear to it.

There was a knock on the door of the conference room and in stepped Brenda Leigh Johnson. She was looking tired, and Sharon understood. She had felt the exact same the last time this case had come around, and it was creeping up on her now.

"I heard you got your gun back, that's good. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Go ahead," Sharon smiled at the other woman. Their relationship seemed very different to what it was this time last year, it was almost friendly. Almost.

Brenda brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Do you mind if I ask you something? Well, tell you something. God, I'm getting all muddled."

"It's okay, start from the beginning. What's up? Is it something with the case?" Sharon asked, wondering what was going down.

The Chief exhaled and turned to Raydor. "Well I don't have any female friends, and you're the only one around here that's not my mother, and well, I know there's Claudia…"

Alarmed, Sharon put one hand up, hoping to stop the blonde from talking, not liking where this was going. "Okay, Chief, I'm going to stop you _right _there. I know our relationship has got better over the past week or so, but we've got so much water under the bridge. Me trying to screw with your cases, and you trying to wreck my entire career."

The blonde nodded, putting her hands back in her lap. Sharon continued. "I've never really had 'girlfriends'. I had Annie, but we've known each other since we were kids, we were practically sisters. I get on better with men, they're not bitches. I would go find someone who knows you better, and who gives more of a crap about your personal life than I do, no offence."

Brenda nodded, realising that perhaps Sharon Raydor was not the best person to ask in relation to her thoughts and feelings concerning Andy Flynn. So she let the brunette get back to her photographs, and stood up to go out the door. As she was about to leave, the newly returned Captain gave her a few words of wisdom.

"Word of warning, Chief. You break Andy Flynn's heart, and I will shoot you. Clear?"

"Crystal. Have a productive afternoon, Captain."

Both women believed their relationship was growing.

X

Will was in his office, deciding to wrap up as much paperwork as he could do so he could get home to his children. Tommy was already there, asleep, after his summer school had been cancelled. He was trying to do things too fast, and already the truth about what being a police officer meant had caught up with him. Caitlin and Brendan would be finishing from the summer school around four, so he'd pick them up and spend the evening with them, trying to help his son cope.

He remembered the first time he had ever seen Sharon Raydor. It wasn't a beautiful vision full of long legs and stunning hair - no, she was hung over the rim of a toilet, throwing up her lunch because they had just found another dead teenage girl at the UCLA campus. There was never a time when you got used to the young and innocent dying, and it was not only his son who was disturbed by these murders.

He continued the paperwork as the door to his office opened and in came a blonde hurricane, better known as Brenda Leigh Johnson. She looked at him for a moment, her face resembling that of a worried child. He stopped what he was doing, looked at her and waiting for her to explain what was going on.

"I think my marriage is falling apart. And I went to second base with Flynn."

Will took everything on board until the last part. "WHAT?"

He ended up sitting down on his sofa with Brenda's head on his lap. They hadn't been that close since they had been together, over thirteen years ago. But they were the closest they had to someone who knew them completely. It was there that Brenda explained the continuance of the failings in her marriage - therapy wasn't working as she was resistant to the idea, and she'd cheated on her husband with Flynn in her garage.

"Well, I don't know if I would consider that cheating."

Brenda gave him a look. "Please, Will, you have to have that opinion. You'd have cheated on your partners' _way_ more if you counted more than sex as cheating."

"Do you want my advice or not?" Will moved Brenda up to a vertical position and put an arm around her shoulder, making her lean on him. "I don't know what to suggest. Therapy has never helped me; I think if you're already out of a marriage then no amount of relationship strengthening is going to change that. You love Fritz, right?"

"Yes, I love him. But…"

He kissed the top of her head. "Stop worrying. Stop thinking. This is possibly not the best time to examine whether you have feelings for another person, especially _Flynn_, and whether your marriage is going to work out. My best advice to you is concentrate on what's important. And, I know to you, that's the case. Catch the UCLA Killer, and then I'm sure when everything is straight and you only have single victims to worry about, your head will tell you what you need to do."

They hugged on the sofa for a moment, enjoying the easy intimacy between the two of them. "Why not my heart, Will? You said head."

He smiled for a moment. "Because the heart is completely biased, and only truly makes up its mind when it's already too late. And from the sounds of it, your heart has already made up its mind."

Eventually, Brenda left him, still torn. Raising his eyebrows, Will returned to his paperwork. He had never liked Fritz, and he could tell that they had been having problems for a while. Will considered Flynn a good guy; he had saved Sharon and cared about her very much. If that was who Brenda wanted to be with, he would support her one hundred percent. But he was more concerned with his own family, and got out of work early to bring down ice cream and some silly movies for his kids. He had his arm around Tommy the entire time.

X

She had come in late to the hotel room, and Flynn was already attempting some sleep. He went through fits and spurts, waking up for a few moments to check his phone and then drift off back to sleep again. She sat looking out of the window, not wanting to go to sleep. She remembered sleeping the first time this case had come around, it was almost nonexistent. Her nightmares were vivid, rich with colour. She was a fifteen year old at college who was captured by the UCLA killer. She was raped, and her throat was slit. And her father, instead of helping her, just shot himself in the head.

They had been awful nightmares, and she had often woken up screaming so loudly that twice the neighbours had called the police. She had been on the fringes of one of those dreams the night before; she remembered the lone corridors and the still quietness. Thankfully Flynn had woke her up quickly to get the day started. She had been grateful, having never wanted to go through those nightmares _ever _again.

Her insomnia had returned it seemed, and she didn't know what to do with herself. Flynn needed his sleep, he was dealing with this case just as much as she was and whatever else was going on between him and Brenda Leigh Johnson. Whenever she did go down to sleep, the baby would kick her hard, and she would be forced to wake up. And the one time she had gone to sleep and started to drift off, she had felt no movement and had become so scared.

She dug her mobile phone out of her bag and scrolled down to the number she needed. She called, hoping that she wasn't disturbing anyone. "Hi, it's me. Sharon. Listen, I know it's incredibly late but I'm not feeling too good and I could really do with someone to talk to, if that's okay."

Soon enough she was heading out of the hotel room door, leaving a note for Flynn in case he wondered where she was. She took a taxi over, and found herself walking the last block to shake any more dregs of sleep from her. She finally got where she needed to go, and knocked on the door. It opened, and was immediately enveloped in a hug.

"I'm sorry it's so late Mrs Johnson."

Willie Rae Johnson, dressed in pyjamas, shook her head. "Its fine, dear, come in. I've just put on a pot of hot cocoa!"

She came into the RV, where both the parents were staying to give Brenda and Fritz a little more room in the main house. Charlie was sleeping in the spare bedroom, but she was no trouble at all. Clay Johnson came into the living area of the RV and sat next to Sharon.

"I'm sorry for waking you up Mr Johnson."

Like his wife, he shook his head. "Its fine, just want to make sure that you're okay. Now, do you like marshmallows with your hot chocolate?" Sharon nodded her head. "Good, because we've got a ton of them. We bought them for Charlene, but she's obviously too old for mini marshmallows."

Sharon had never envied Brenda Leigh Johnson before: not her rank, not her approach, not her relationship with her team. But she envied her now for the amazing parents she had. As much as she loved her father and cherished the thirteen years with him before his heart left him, and the two before the rest of him left her, she would have liked a father like Clay. The less said for her mother the better, suffice to say that Willie Rae could be half the woman she was and still be twice the mother her own was for the entire two years she stayed with her family.

Willie Rae passed her a mug of cocoa and she took a sip. Perfection. She was sandwiched by the two older Johnsons, and Clay put his mug down to turn to her for a moment.

"Now, don't be mad, but Willie Rae told me about you being pregnant. I wondered if you had thought anymore about what you're going to do."

It was all she _had _thought about, every time the baby moved, every time she kicked. But she still hadn't told Will, nor anyone else to help her make her decision. Sharon took a deep breath. "No, I don't know what I'm going to do about her."

"Told you," Willie Rae said to Clay, smiling.

"Willie Rae also said that you're expecting a girl!" Clay grinned. "Now, I know Willie Rae is making sure you're healthy and that your baby isn't going to come out with two heads, and if there is anything you need from me, just ask. We can take you to doctor's appointments; I can even have a word with Pope if you want me to."

His wife gave him a warning look, but Clay didn't take the hint. Sharon just smiled. "Thank you Mr Johnson."

"First things first, no more of that. Willie Rae and Clay, please, Sharon," Willie Rae said, tapping her on the knee.

She nodded. "Okay then. Is it okay if I stay here, just for tonight? I wasn't getting nightmares when I stayed here."

Willie Rae grinned, and sat down next to Sharon, trying to find the remote for the television. "No trouble at all. They're doing a marathon of _Dancing with the Stars_, we can watch that!"

Clay shook his head and went to bed, and the two women stayed up late that night. Eventually Sharon drifted off to sleep, and Willie Rae chose that opportunity to find her phone and find a number she needed.

X

Brenda woke up that morning to the smell of pancakes. She supposed her mother was cooking, and as Fritz was still asleep, she pulled on her dressing gown and slippers and headed into the kitchen. As she entered, she decided she was still dreaming. Her original dream had been her and Flynn, a happily married couple, shopping for crime scene photos. Now he was in her kitchen, making pancakes.

"Andy, what's going on?"

He turned around, smiling. Seeing her, his smile faded a bit. They were still…off. Especially in her own house, where her husband was - why was he even here? He couldn't be there - after what had happened yesterday between the three of them, Fritz was likely to kill Flynn if he found he was there.

"Your Mom invited me over for breakfast; I said I could make pancakes, so here we go! They're with Sharon on the RV. Want to flip one?"

Brenda grinned; she'd always wanted to learn to flip pancakes. When she had tried it a couple of times when she had lived alone, they had often ended up on the ceiling, or in bits all over the stove. She made her way around to the hob, and took Andy's hand over the edge of the frying pan. The symmetry of the past night with the bookcase was obvious to both of them, and Brenda immediately dropped the pan, moving away from Flynn's body heat.

"We need to work together; we can't be flipping pancakes and sanding bookcases."

Flynn flipped another one and tipped it down onto a growing plate in the centre of the table. "I've got my shrink evaluation today; hopefully they'll give me back my gun," he said, changing the topic to something work related. A safe subject.

There were sounds from outside, and Andy tipped the batter into the pan again. Brenda looked at her feet, fiddling with the coffee pot. She squirted half the bottle of honey into her mug, and Andy smiled at her. He put his hand over hers, and she started to blush.

"Okay, what we did was wrong; I'm not going to deny that. But, it felt right, damn it, to kiss you like I did. And I'd do it again, in a heartbeat."

Thankfully for both of them, the door opened and in came Brenda's parents and Sharon. Sharon started to giggle when she saw Andy making pancakes and turned to the two Johnsons. "He makes the best pancakes. He only makes them when he's stressed as well. Last time the UCLA killer came around I put on tons of weight just from his pancakes alone."

Willie Rae made bacon and eggs and Sharon played with the toaster as they got settled down for breakfast. Fritz came in to see what was going on, and was less than happy to see that Sharon and Flynn had rejoined their little breakfast table. But he sat down anyway, enjoying the breakfast in front of him.

"That bookcase is incredible, Lieutenant. Couldn't persuade you to make any more of my furniture, could I?" Clay grinned, and Flynn chuckled. He had unveiled the bookcase that morning, after working on the finishing touches before going into the kitchen to make pancakes. He was quite impressed with how it turned out, and was glad to give it away. He couldn't see it again without feeling the warmth of Brenda's skin under his fingers.

Sharon smiled, but Brenda blushed and looked down at her food. "Daddy, you can't expect Flynn to make you an entire living room set, he's got work to do. He's got to catch a killer." She pushed herself away from the table. "Excuse me."

Brenda moved away and headed into the back of the home, Fritz following her. Charlie looked over her breakfast and at the departing couple. "Is it me, or does Aunt Brenda seem weirder than usual?"

"It's not you," Willie Rae said and the group shrugged as they continued on with their breakfast.

In their bedroom, Brenda was getting dressed. Fritz came in, waiting at the door frame to see if Brenda was going to explain her behaviour. She didn't say anything, just continued to pull on her shirt and her cardigan.

"What is going on between you and Flynn? Brenda, I'm not going to be mad, I just want to know."

Brenda still didn't say anything, so he continued to push. "Have you slept with him?"

"No!" Brenda said, almost too forcefully. Fritz's face fell.

"So what have you done with him, huh? Have you kissed him? Has he touched you, you touched him? Come on Brenda, just how far have you gone with one of your Lieutenants?"

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her hands and the silver wedding band on her finger. The cold metal made her shiver. "We went to second base. That's all, and that's all it will ever be, I promise you that."

Fritz's hands were shaking; he had just discovered that his wife had been with another man. He could understand Pope, they had history. He would still be angry, but he wouldn't be surprised. But Flynn - it was left field; she had never mentioned him singular before, always with Provenza. But over the last few months… "What is it, Brenda? Why have you been turning to him and not to me? I could have gone with you to Stroh's house, I could be the one supporting you with this case but instead you push me away! Is it the alcoholic thing, huh?"

She shook her head. "It's not; Flynn's an alcoholic as well. I went to one of his meetings."

He didn't shout. She was grateful for that; she didn't need a lecture from her parents about the sanctity of marriage, as it was she was getting a crash course from her husband. "_You went to one of his meetings_. I see. You've got to explain it to me, Brenda, why. Just why. Why him?"

Brenda stood up, her hands clenched. "Because he gets the job! Because he understands that I like looking at dead bodies, and I like solving cases and that I don't like going out with friends and I don't like romantic dinners for two. He also understands that I would rather solve a case of a serial killer than have a child."

That was the core of it. It was always the core. He wanted children; he wanted a family more than he liked his job or what he did. He could give it up if it meant taking his son to a baseball game, or taking photographs of his daughter going to prom. But she would never do the same.

Fritz hit the wall, sinking his fist into the plasterboard. Brenda took a step forward, but he shielded his bleeding hand from her.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

He nodded, but it wasn't an acceptance. He hadn't been this angry with her since she had stolen his gang contact right from under him. "I'm going to New York for a few days, it's sudden and thankfully _nothing _to do with the UCLA killer, which is what everyone is concerned about."

"Why are you going?" Brenda asked quietly, her arms crossed.

"Because Broker is there, and he's been there every other week for the past five months. We want to know why and brief the NYPD - it was my original case and I'm liaising with the head of your Gang Unit. I'll be gone for about three days, maximum a week. When I get back, Brenda, we're sitting down and we're talking about this. Because you are no longer working with Flynn, if this marriage is going to work."

Fritz left to go clean his hand, and Brenda just sat on the bed. Maybe Will was right - one man ruining her life at a time. She laid down on her bed and started to cry.

X

The psychiatrist's office was bland, and Andy sat with his hands over his elbows as he waited for her to come in and sit down. That morning he hadn't heard a lot of the conversation, but it was obvious that everyone knew it was concerning his relationship with Brenda. He didn't think he would be invited to anymore breakfasts, which was just fine by him. He didn't know how to act around her, every time he saw her he could see her smile, feel the contours of her hand, taste her in the back of his mouth.

"Lieutenant Flynn? Welcome." The psychiatrist came in, smiling. "This is just a routine investigation, wanting to make sure you're okay to handle a gun again. Usually we'd build it up over a series of sessions, but I know the UCLA killer case is a hot issue at the moment and you're at the forefront of that. I have no issue with both you and Captain Raydor returning to active duty, I just want the marksman at the shooting range to sign off on you in a session this afternoon, and then everything will be okay."

It was just noise to him, but he seemed to understand that he was going to get his gun at some point, which sounded like a good idea. "Okay, Doc. So, where do we start?"

She looked over several of her questions before smiling at him. It was quite unnerving, but he decided to keep up with things. "Have you been having any nightmares? That's a usual response when someone shoots someone, even someone committing a crime, in the line of duty."

Andy nodded. "I get nightmares from time to time, but not regarding Jimmy. Old cases, but you get that when you've been in the job as long as I've been."

She made a note on her pad. "How do you feel regarding shooting Sergeant Beatie? Any remorse?"

He wondered how to answer, but just decided to go honestly. He shook his head. "He was a piece of scum, raping and stabbing a friend of mine. My only regret is that I wasn't there early enough to stop him from doing the rest of his sick shit."

The psychiatrist nodded, and Flynn thought it was going well. "How is the rest of your life going? Have you got a girlfriend? I've noticed you noted down you've been going to AA meetings regularly. How is the not drinking going?"

"It's getting a little better; I've been going to meetings regularly. It was this case that stopped me drinking, and I'm determined that this case isn't going to make me start." The shrink smiled and wrote something down. "I had a girlfriend back in New Jersey, Lana. We haven't seen each other since I've been back in LA, though."

"You're staying in a hotel, currently?"

Flynn exhaled. "Yeah, with Sharon. Captain Raydor. I was renting and she sold her house, so we've got nowhere to live. We're looking though, or planning to look. We're a bit swamped at the moment."

"And your relationship with Chief Johnson? How is that? I know that it's always been a little…non traditional."

Flynn thought for a moment, and smiled, thinking about another thought that had been standing out to him since he had been back. "I've been thinking after this case that I might join FID. I…I think that once this case is over I'll have seen more than my fair share of dead girls. With Jimmy gone, they're a man down."

"So you'd be replacing the man you shot? There's a certain morbid symmetry to that."

"It's just a thought, an idea. I could go back to Robbery/Homicide if I wanted to, I just thought that…FID shouldn't be remembered for the psycho that raped his superior officer, it's better than that."

The psychiatrist wrote another note down on her piece of paper. She then stood up and shook Flynn's hand. "I'm clearing you for full active duty, pending a satisfactory report at the shooting range this afternoon. But I want to see you next week, and see how things are going for you. Good luck with your hunt, Lieutenant. And welcome back."

He went outside, heading down to get his gun. He smiled as he walked down the corridors. He felt like he had truly returned to the LAPD.

X

Brenda looked towards the murder board, sighing at the sight of the eleven girls now up there. It was awful, and she was starting to feel sick. Eleven families that hadn't received any justice, and not for a long time had they been stuck without any leads. Flynn entered the room to much applause - he now had his gun back on his hip. He joined the group as they sat and waited for Brenda to start the briefing of what they knew. He high fived Sharon as he sat next to her - she also had her gun back now.

"Okay, so yesterday morning the body of Maria Benson was found in one of the lecture rooms at UCLA. She's our eleventh victim. The FBI and the LAPD are putting a lockdown on the campus - anyone who wants to stay is free to, a lot of the students are going."

"We're essentially using the ones that are left as bait, aren't we?" Gabriel admitted. "If they stay, they're targets."

Brenda nodded, sighing. "We are, Sergeant, but we've given every student and staff member at UCLA the choice. Some of them have work to prepare for, some are training, some have nowhere to go. We've got a curfew in place of ten o'clock, and there are going to be guards at every entrance. I want two officers from this division to take the midnight to eight am shift, where it's likely he's going to be going around. Then a couple of hours sleep for whomever and then back in here. Anyone want to take the first shift?"

Flynn put his hand up. "Me and Raydor will take the first go round. Neither of us are sleeping much anyway."

Everyone in the room laughed softly. Brenda looked at their new victim, and turned to Tony. "What do we have on Maria Benson?"

Tony shifted in his seat, looking at his notes. "Maria Benson, junior, art history major. Sister goes to USC; parents are new money in architecture. Real quiet, she's doing some preparation for her senior year. The only link to Keighley is the art link. To me, if it's a copycat he would have gone for the roommate, Elle Jackson, but he didn't. The only link to criminology is that she was working on a couple of papers about art thefts."

Brenda nodded, adding some of that information down to the board. It wasn't helping them yet, but maybe soon they would be able to put something together. They moved onto the next course of business, which was the murder weapon. Tao and Simon looked incredibly excited as they presented a knife.

"We are pretty sure that this is the murder weapon. It's a lightweight blade - we found it in a department store in our hunt. Normally you'd expect it to be for hunting as we expected the profile to be, not cooking as Captain Raydor didn't think he wanted to eat his victims."

Brenda tried to keep awake, and thankfully Simon helped her out by explaining what the blade actually was. "It's a fancy letter opener, parcel cutter. The handle has grooves for the fingers, the blade is the right diameter and depth for the cuts on the girls, and it's easy to clean off as its smooth all over, no little cracks for blood to get stuck into."

They took the big photographs and put it up on the board. "So, now we need to check orders…"

Tao raised up his hand up to the Chief. "When we were checking the blade, we asked. There was an order purchased in 1996 for a blade like this, bought and gift wrapped by an Amelia Hanson."

Brenda looked to Flynn and Sharon for a moment and the Lieutenant started to speak. "Amelia Hanson was Eddie Hanson's long suffering wife. She divorced his ass in 1997, and moved to North Carolina with her new husband. When this case started up again, I dropped a line down to the police force there and she's still alive. I can go call her, if you'd like," Flynn explained.

"Do it. And the next time you keep information like this about out prime suspect, Lieutenant, I'm going to recommend you're transferred to traffic. What about the interview with Hanson, have we got the tape yet Buzz?"

Buzz, sat in the corner, shook his head. "Sorry, Chief, but everything is still a mess from moving - I'm searching all the time but I had to film the crime scene yesterday so I lost some hours there. It's not with the cold case file, like it should be."

She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She was getting stressed, and once that happened, she would be making mistakes. She turned to her team. "Okay, Lieutenant Flynn, call up Amelia Hanson and make sure she's okay. Captain Raydor I want you and Chief Pope to keep working on the profile of the MO. Sergeant Gabriel and Detective Sanchez I want you to track down all the staff from when Hanson worked at UCLA - see if he was experiencing any stress - if his wife's divorce was a trigger it was a year to early. Everyone else, interview the parents again, go back to the campus and keep interviewing. Lieutenant Tao, Buzz, I want it in a database form please."

Sharon stood up, turning to Claudia and Simon. "You two, I think it would be a good idea for you to go find that tape. You know the freezer better than anyone else - go back to Parker Centre and see if anyone dropped anything. Then come here and go through every file you can."

Brenda appreciated the help, and everyone got back down to their business. From his desk, Flynn gave Brenda a look. She avoided his eyes, knowing it had to be done. One thing at a time. She needed to catch this monster, sooner rather than later.

X

She hadn't known why he had covered her eyes as he walked her up to the roof, but it showed a level of trust in him that she didn't know she had anymore. Eventually when they were on the roof, Will let go of her eyes and revealed the picnic that he had planned, a late lunch. Sharon smiled.

"This is beautiful, Will, thank you."

He reached for her hand and took her to the blanket. He had made sandwiches and brought crisps and dip. He also found the cooler bag he had and pulled out a tub of ice cream. It was _Phish Food _and her eyes lit up, sharing the knowing smile with the man she loved.

"If I am to be so presumptuous?"

Sharon put her arms around Will's neck and kissed him softly on the mouth. His hands went around her waist, and they started kissing gently on the picnic cloth he had laid out for them. He was on his back with her on top of him, his hands staying very close to her waist, while hers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. They smiled as they shared another kiss before starting to eat the lunch that Will had brought them.

After eating, Sharon looked over the city and the spires of city hall. He wrapped his arms around her, warming her with his body. He placed a kiss on her cheek, and then moved down over her neck. She moaned softly, all her senses electrified by his touch. His hands grazed her hips and moved over her stomach. Sharon reached for them, linking her fingers with his and moving them away.

"Can I say something without you getting upset?" Will asked, and Sharon immediately froze. She nodded, concerned. "I have an idea about the case. And I got distracted by whatever weirdness is going on between Flynn and Brenda and didn't tell you. I know this was supposed to be romantic, and serial killer motives aren't."

Sharon exhaled and turned around to see him, playing with his tie. "I've given up on those two, they'll sort themselves out. So what's your idea?"

Will sat back down on the blanket and she joined him. "Well I was thinking about things, and the murder weapon seems completely removed from everything. It's not hunting, it's not a feast, it's not some twisted revenge, it's an art piece. He cuts the hair as a trophy; he washes them to keep them clean and pure of anything else of the world. He slits their throats so delicately, and the way he leaves them…almost sleeping. These girls are a work of art to him, a gallery of some such."

"It makes sense," Sharon agreed, before smiling. "Okay, so we've got why he does his MO, now we just need motive and how he does it. How he keeps those girls so still…we did tox screens and we found nothing."

"I'll do some research, but I think we're getting there. We could check art teachers, but this is a private thing for him, this is his own private gallery of death."

"But it's not, this is his exhibition piece. What if he has a private gallery at home?"

Will pulled out his phone and started to text. "I'm going to ask Tony if he can check on all missing students at the college between 1997 and 1998. Maybe his wife divorcing Hanson was his trigger, but it was only in 1998 when he started sharing his 'art' with the world."

Sharon immediately grabbed Will's tie and thrust him towards her, pulling his mouth on hers. They kissed, tongues in each other's mouths, consuming the other entirely. Sharon pulled Will's hands around her, moving down her shoulder and over her breast. They continued kissing until Will's phone rang with a text. Sharon buried her head in the crook in between his shoulder and neck, and he looked at her, smiling.

"Investigation gets you all hot, huh?"

She smiled shyly, fiddling with his tie. "You being an investigative genius is incredibly hot, Chief Pope."

He laughed and hugged her tight, smiling at her. "Okay, let's go down to UCLA and see if they've had any missing girls in the last few years that haven't made the news. It may explain his down time if he's been reverting back to a private gallery. And we can grab some dinner before your shift."

"Sounds good to me."

They headed off of the roof holding hands, Sharon feeling better than she had in ages. In the lift going down, she felt her baby kick and she realised things were far from sorted in her life, even if they now had a lead to follow concerning Eddie Hanson.

X

It was early morning on Wednesday, and Sharon was waiting at one entrance of the hall with Andy Flynn playing solitaire on the floor in front of him. They had done a check of all the rooms before the kids had got themselves squared away - there were four boys and six girls down their corridor. They were now waiting for another two hours until they were relieved by the two uniforms and they could go back to the new LAPD headquarters and continue their search for the killer.

"Okay, spill. What's going on between you and Scarlett O'Hara?" Sharon asked, knowing that Andy had been eager to talk to her all evening. They had been there for now eight hours, having got there early to see the lay of the land. Sharon was missing the hot cocoa of Willie Rae, the warm embrace of Will. There were several other places she would rather be, and she would rather Flynn talk then endure another two hours of silence.

"Me and Chief Johnson went to second base in her garage," Flynn admitted, and Sharon started to laugh.

"Oh my god, seriously? Her husband is going to _kill _you. Hey, forget about her husband, _Clay_ is going to kill you! What is it with you and her…do you love her, Andy?"

"I don't know, I may do. I feel…whenever we talk, whenever it's just us I feel like she knows what I'm feeling more than anyone else, even you. She makes me smile, and she makes me feel like I'm the only person who can understand her."

Sharon reached over for Flynn's hand and squeezed. He was in a difficult position, having to deal with the fact that the woman he wanted was married. It was an awful place to be.

"Someone is still going to kick your ass. But, hey, at least I'll be there behind you, defending your honour."

He grinned and he shuffled the deck, ready to play a game with her. She was enjoying this; it was almost like old times, except they weren't a couple. Maybe that was why it had never felt right dating Andy - he was almost like her brother. Her best friend.

"So why are you constantly seeing Willie Rae? Everything is okay, isn't it?"

Although Willie Rae had wanted her to have someone else to confide in, Sharon didn't want to tell Andy just yet. "I'm fine Flynn. It's your turn."

Her baby girl was pressing down on her bladder, so she decided to go the public bathrooms at the end of the hall. She was rubbing her eyes, tired of getting no sleep when she saw that a door was cracked ajar. They had asked everyone to shut and lock everything, and they had made sure the windows were locked too. As Sharon looked in the crack, she could see a man on top of the girl that lived in the dorm room.

She couldn't see the girl's face, couldn't see whether what was going on was consensual or not. The man was dressed all in black. Sharon reached down for her gun and realised it wasn't there - the clip had been making her stomach hurt and she had been worried about hurting the baby. Slowly but surely she rushed down the hallway and reached a sleepy Andy.

"Andy, he's here. He's raping a girl, I'm sure of it."

"Oh fuck me. Let's do this thing."

He passed Sharon her weapon and they slunk down the corridor, up to the door where Sharon had seen the man. They looked inside and saw that he had stripped her naked and there was a bowl of water with a cloth, next to her. She wasn't dead.

Andy kicked open her door and pointed the gun in the room, but there was no one there. Sharon moved over to the bathroom to the left, making sure there was no one in there or the cupboard. They missed the man slide out from under the bed, and they missed the silent blade cut over her throat, and they missed her trying to scream. It was only when Flynn turned around that they saw him.

"HEY! STOP YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Flynn's fingers stumbled over the gun, and Sharon put a shot in the wall above his head as the man dived out of the room. Flynn, his hands shaking, dialled for an ambulance and tended to the girl, blood once again getting all over his hands. Sharon gave chase after the man in black, and fired two more shots, but they both missed him. She continued chasing around the corridor, and she just caught the back of his coat when his hands pushed her and slammed her, stomach first, into the fire extinguisher in the corridor.

Pain erupted from her body, and she screamed. She sat on the floor, her hands clutching her stomach. She was in so much pain, and she couldn't feel her girl any more. She started screaming for help. The killer was long gone. Andy rushed down the corridor, his hands covered in blood. He reached her side.

"I've called an ambulance, it's on her way and I got the boy next door to keep pressure on her wound. Are you okay? You lose him?"

Sharon screamed in pain, clutching at her stomach. One hand gripped Andy's shoulder.

"I need to get to a hospital now, Andy, please; I need to get there now. I think I'm going to lose her."

He didn't know what she was talking about, but he clutched her hand tight as he dialled for another ambulance, and waited for the sirens to arrive. Sharon hoped that there wouldn't be more than one dead life when they came.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_New York Daily Mirror, September 23__rd__ 1954 [page 25]_

_Katherine and Charlie Flynn are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, handsome baby boy Andrew James Flynn on the 20__th__ September, weighing 6lbs and 9oz. _

_New York Daily Mirror, June 24th, 1960 [page 19]_

_In memoriam of kind hearted and much loved Katherine Flynn, who passed away from Cancer on June 22__nd__. She leaves behind a loving husband, and three beautiful children: Andy, Cindy and Max. She will be missed very much by her friends and family, who hope she is now in a better place. A funeral service will be held on June 26th. _

_New York Daily Mirror, June 26__th__ 1961 [page 32]_

_Faye and Michael Raydor are happy to announce the birth of beautiful baby girl Sharon Elizabeth Raydor on the 24__th__ June, weighing 7lbs and 6oz. _

_New York Daily Mirror, May 10th 1972 [page 25]_

_A service will be held on May 13__th__ for father Charlie Flynn who sadly passed away on May 8th. He leaves behind three children and a beautiful grandchild. Family now hope he has passed on to be with his wife Katherine, who passed away of Cancer twelve years ago. _

_New York Times, July 1__st__ 1976 [page 27]_

_Loving father and welcomed friend Michael Raydor passed away on July 30__th__ in tragic circumstances. His loss is a great one to his community, to his friends, and his loving daughter Sharon. A funeral service will be held on July 7__th__, donations to the NYPD instead of flowers would be very welcome. _

_County Herald, April 22__nd__ 1987 [page 32]_

_Rebecca and Marty Hanson are pleased to announce the marriage of their son Edward Hanson to the lovely Amelia Daniels. They were married in a small ceremony on the 16__th__ of April, where the weather was pleased for their union and shined all day. The newlyweds are now on their honeymoon in Nevada, where they plan to try and win the Vegas Jackpot to buy a new car. Everyone at the Herald wishes them the very best of luck in the future. _

_Asheville Citizen Times, March 16__th__ 1998 [page 19]_

_Amelia and Jackson Armstrong are happy to announce the birth of their son, Alexander Harry Armstrong on the 15__th__ March, weighing a healthy 8lbs and 5oz. _

_LA Times, July 22__nd__ 2010 [page 1]_

_The body of History student Jennifer Buckingham was discovered at the UCLA Campus yesterday morning. It is thought that police officers on the scene found Ms Buckingham and the assailant, but were too late to arrest the suspect, or save Ms Buckingham's life. _

_This is another of the LAPD's embarrassing failures in this case, along with the FBI allowing Maria Benson to be murdered a mere few days ago. It seems the reign of terror at UCLA has been upped, and students are flooding out of the gates, wanting to return to a safe haven. _

_Our thoughts at the LA Times are with all the families of, now, twelve girls who still require justice._

X

The first group of paramedics went straight for the girl, all hoping it wasn't too late. A uniform waited for the second group and led them down the hallway where Sharon was still clinging onto the hand of Andy Flynn. They lifted her onto a stretcher and put her on oxygen. The shock more than anything was making her dizzy. As they went down the corridor, Flynn looked into the eyes of the uniformed officer. He shook his head - the UCLA killer had claimed another victim.

In the ambulance, Flynn sat by Sharon's side as the paramedics continued giving her oxygen to regulate her breathing and checked her vital signs. They turned to Flynn and asked if she was on any medication.

"No, not that I know of. I think she was on some pain medication for a while, but she stopped." He hadn't seen her take anything while they had been staying together. He hoped he was right.

Flynn clung onto her hand and brushed the strands of hair that were sticking to her forehead. The paramedics looked at her and asked her what she was taking, just to make sure she wouldn't get anything that would cause a negative reaction. She pushed the mask off of her face to respond.

"Pre natal vitamins, that's about it."

The words didn't click with Andy at that point; he was more concerned with the monitor telling everyone in the ambulance her heart beat. They made it to the hospital in record time, and they rushed Sharon into the E/R for tests. Flynn asked one of the orderlies to find him if they had any news, and he went straight outside to call Brenda. It was still pretty early; it wasn't even seven o'clock yet, but this was an emergency.

_"Hello?" _she asked sleepily, and immediately Flynn started to feel calm. The Chief would know what to do. She wasn't good with crises in her own life, but when it came to those of her team, she knew exactly what to do to get them through it.

"Chief, it's me, Flynn."

He heard her groan on the other end, material shifting as she sat up. _"Lieutenant, we can't do this. You can't be calling me up at all hours, it's just not right."_

"You're right, Chief," Flynn hissed, getting angry with her disregard of him. It was amazing how in less than a week they could go from being close and practically inseparable to other sides of a divide from one kiss. "Guess you don't want to know that we caught the UCLA Killer in the act, huh? We've got another body, and he assaulted Captain Raydor, I'm in the hospital with her now."

_"Text me directions to the hospital, I'll be right there. I'm sorry, Andy."_

He didn't reply to her, just ended the call and went into the waiting room. It was so similar to where he had been a few months before, sitting covered in blood, waiting for the doctors to tell him whether she was going to survive or not. His mind kept going over his fingers shaking - the last time he had fired a gun it had been into Jimmy Beatie and now the UCLA killer had escaped.

It was only alone, in a cold and empty Emergency Room, that Flynn realised that Sharon Raydor was pregnant.

X

He hadn't been able to sleep, so he decided to go out quickly and get a little something for breakfast. Sweet rolls and strawberries - he would surprise Sharon at UCLA before they would continue their work on the killer's MO. He made sure there was cereal and toast for his children, and he texted his next door neighbour, asking if he could take his kids along with the neighbours own to the summer school. Tommy was still in bed, and wouldn't be stepping foot into LAPD headquarters for some time if Will had his way.

There was a knock on his door just as he was preparing his little breakfast basket. They'd have breakfast, then they would work together all day before going to the cinema later to see _Toy Story 3_: his kids had been ecstatic about the prospect for days. Padding to the door in bare feet and nothing but trousers and a shirt, Will opened the door to see Brenda Leigh Johnson standing there. She looked tired, worried even.

He didn't like what her eyes were telling him at all.

"Brenda, what's going on?"

She wrapped her arms around herself. "There's been another murder on campus, a young woman was killed. I'm sorry to tell you, Will, but Sharon was assaulted. I don't know much more than that, Flynn didn't tell me a great deal over the phone."

He didn't say another word. Will scribbled something on the message pad by the door, grabbed a pair of shoes and headed with her in her car to the hospital. On the way there, Will felt sick. He couldn't lose her again, not so soon after he had got her back.

X

Andy Flynn had been waiting for over half an hour when finally a doctor came out and saw him. He stood up, shaking as he walked over. He looked in the doctor's face for any sign, but he was a blank slate.

"So, Doc, how is she?" Flynn asked tentatively, hoping for the best.

The doctor looked over a chart for a moment before turning to Flynn. "We've got her stable, she hasn't had to go into surgery and as far as we can tell there is no internal bleeding. She refused any x rays because of the baby, so we had to do an ultrasound."

Flynn nodded, sticking his hands under his armpits. "How's the kid, did she lose the baby or what?"

Another quick look at the chart and the doctor smiled at the detective. "The baby is doing surprisingly well. According to Ms Raydor she was pushed into a fire extinguisher, and usually we would expect some damage to the foetus. But she has a sizeable amount of scar tissue over her stomach which we think protected the child from any serious damage. We recommend a great deal of rest and lots of nutrients, but you dodged a bullet on this one. Both girls are doing well."

Sharon was having a baby girl. Flynn smiled as that thought crossed over in his mind. He wondered whether she would look like Sharon, whether she would have her mother's green eyes, her knack for getting into trouble. The pressure in his chest that had been growing fell away.

"Can I see her?"

"Sure you can. We're going to keep her in for a couple of hours - we'd prefer to keep her in much longer, but when we suggested that she practically yelled at the nurse. You guys working on a big case?"

The doctor walked Flynn down to Sharon's hospital room. "Yeah, the UCLA Killer."

Thankfully he didn't ask any more questions, just led Andy to where he needed to go to see Sharon. He looked at her through the window of the hospital room, completely different to five months ago when she had been in a coma. Now she was resting her hand over her bare stomach, smiling at something. He knocked on the door and opened it.

"Hey."

"Hey," Sharon smiled.

Flynn sat down next to her and reached for her hand. He looked towards her stomach briefly before looking back up at her. "Doc said you're pregnant. If I'm going to be honest, I'm pretty pissed that you didn't tell me. After all we've been through…"

Sharon nodded and gripped Flynn's hand tighter. "Before you yell at me, do the math and add up things in your head. I'm five months gone."

Working it out, he felt sick to his stomach. There was a chance, probably a really big chance, that the baby was Jimmy's. He held her hand even tighter, and she nodded. "I don't know for sure, haven't done a DNA test to figure out whether it's Jimmy's or Will's. I guess I don't want to, I don't want to know for definite that she's Jimmy's."

Flynn grinned. "You're having a girl, huh?"

Sharon looked down at her stomach. She was starting to show a little, not much but it was there. She was eating plenty now, putting on the weight she had lost and as she pressed her hand to her stomach, she could feel the tiny life inside her kick really hard. It was such a beautiful feeling, and the absence of it made her heart break.

"Yeah, I'm having a girl."

It was the first time she had admitted it, and as she did she felt something light inside her. She was having a baby girl. She started to laugh, and Flynn moved over to sit next to her on the bed. He put an arm around her, holding her close. On the bedside table was a picture of the ultrasound they had done earlier to make sure that her girl was okay. She kept staring at it, and she let Flynn have a look.

"She looks just like you. I think she's Pope's though, she's got hair like her Dad."

Sharon laughed and Flynn joined in. They stared at the picture for a moment before she turned to her partner, a solemn thought overcoming her. "The girl died, didn't she?"

Flynn nodded. "Yeah she did."

"Shit. I should have had my gun on me in the first place; I should have got back up when he pushed me down, but…"

"We both made mistakes this morning. We've got an idea of his height, his build. And to be honest, losing you would have done no good to the morale of the team. We'll work it through; we've just got to explain to the Chief what's going on."

"Kiss her again; distract her with your tongue, toothpick boy," Sharon teased, earning her a look. He hit her lightly on the arm and they started to scrap until there was a knock on the door, it was Stephen. He gestured to Flynn that he wanted a word outside. The Lieutenant moved off the bed and Sharon gripped his wrist.

"Thank you, Andy."

"No problem. We're in this together, you and me."

Sharon looked down at her hands. "Just don't tell anyone at the moment, okay? I'm not ready yet."

He nodded, kissing her knuckles before heading outside to talk to Chief Mitchell. They stood outside, looking at Sharon in the room. She looked pale, and Flynn could see that the Deputy Chief looked harassed.

"You really care about Sharon, don't you?" Flynn asked, and Mitchell smiled.

"When I met Sharon she didn't want to work in FID, she hated the concept of it. She was angry; she was determined to be alone. I would never say this to her face, but she reminds me a lot of how Claudia was before Sharon took her under her wing. She's my student, my protégé, and she has come farther than I ever thought." His smile turned wistful. "How is she? How's the baby?" Flynn looked shocked, but Stephen waved him off. "She hasn't told me, but it's obvious. I've got two girls; I've got a granddaughter on the way. I know when someone's pregnant."

Flynn took one more glance at Sharon before the two men took seats outside. Mitchell went and found a coffee machine and got a cup for Flynn, he looked tired and in desperate need of caffeine. He urged the Lieutenant to tell him what had happened.

"We were playing cards, just talking. Sharon had to go pee, so she went to find a bathroom. She came running back a few minutes later saying that the guy was here, he was raping another girl. We went after him, softly so he didn't spook. When we got into the room we couldn't see him, the girl was subdued but not dead. We started to clear the room, and the asshole must have been hiding under the bed because he then slit her throat. We turned, we saw him. I had a clean shot, but…my fingers froze on the trigger, I just couldn't get a shot off. Sharon did, I stayed with the girl while she chased after him. He pushed her into a fire extinguisher and she started calling for help."

Mitchell nodded, taking everything in. "Listen to me very carefully Flynn. You're going to have to be extremely careful here, or you're going to get thrown off of the case. Do _not _under any circumstances say you froze, or you're going to be without your gun and in the shrinks chair for the next month. But I want you to spend an hour a day with your weapon, getting used to it again. Also, don't tell anyone that Sharon is pregnant. She'll get taken off the case quick as, but more because Will doesn't want to risk her life, or the life of her baby. We clear, Lieutenant?"

"Crystal."

They sat and drank coffee for a while, talking about Mitchell's future grandchild, and about Flynn's hope to see a decent baseball game. Heels clicking on linoleum echoed in the empty waiting area, and both men looked up to see Brenda Leigh Johnson coming down the hallway. It was nearly an hour on since Flynn had called her; she must have gone to the crime scene first.

"Chief Mitchell, Lieutenant Flynn. Chief Pope is coming down; he got caught up at the crime scene, trying to decide on a statement. How's she doing?"

Flynn stood up. "She's fine; she's going to be out of here in a couple of hours."

Brenda smiled, happy that the Captain was going to be okay. "Chief Mitchell, do you mind giving us some space?"

"Of course."

Mitchell patted and squeezed Flynn's shoulder, a gentle reminder of their conversation. He walked down the corridor, going to find Will to make sure he wasn't yelling at some poor nurse about where Sharon was. As they became alone, Flynn could see her face change from concerned to downright angry.

"Lieutenant, I know you've not been an officer for about five months but considering your past I'd think that you of all people would understand what to do if you found a _serial killer _raping a student at UCLA. You call for back up, you get the girl out of the room and then you clear it. You _do not _leave the girl lying on a bed while you search for the killer, leaving her open. The Uniform at the door walked me through the scene, told me what you told him. I also looked at the bullet holes in the wall and there was only one. If I looked at your gun, would I find a full clip? Tell me that I didn't make a huge mistake letting you in this investigation when you are so clearly _not ready _for this."

Flynn tried to figure out what to say, but he didn't know what to. There were mistakes, he knew he should have moved the girl, but at that time there was no visible threat to her, they didn't know where the killer was and that risked the lives of him and Sharon. Brenda took his silence as admission of guilt.

"And then you rush off, leaving a _student _protecting your victim to make sure Captain Raydor's okay after being pushed into a fire extinguisher. She's being let out in a couple of hours; obviously nothing is too wrong with her. Are you so obsessed with righting what went wrong in February that you're putting everything at risk for her? Are you so obsessed with catching the UCLA Killer that you don't care how big a total he runs up, just as long as you get your man?"

If he had been drinking, and he was greatly tempted to at that moment in time, he would have raised his hand to her. He'd done it to his wife once when they had been married, when he had been so drunk and she was yelling at him about choosing murdered girls over his own wife. But instead, Flynn didn't say a word; he just slid to the floor.

"Aren't you going to say anything? Come on, Flynn, show some balls. You wouldn't have let me get away with this all those years ago when we first met, would you? You would have been yelling at me, running off to Taylor to destroy me. Now, you've gone soft, haven't you? I don't even want you in my department, you were better off in New Jersey."

Brenda waited for him to say something. He just unclipped the badge he had been so happy to get back and flung it across the floor at her. "You're right. Take it back. Just don't accuse me of being obsessed with cases when you've still got Stroh on your walls. And don't yell at me and accuse me of fucking up just because you can't handle that we kissed. Which is going on my list of life regrets, by the way, like coming back here in the first place."

Flynn walked away, picking up his badge in the process. Will passed him in the corridor as he ran to see Sharon. He gave Brenda a concerned look before going into the hospital room and hugging Sharon tight, making sure she was okay. Brenda looked at them through the window. It was shocking to think they had been barely back a week when so much had happened. Will and Sharon looked like they were returning to their old selves; their love was obvious to anyone. She and Flynn were breaking apart; a moment of weakness had ruined everything they had built on for the last few years.

She walked out of the hospital and back to the crime scene, already knowing what she would find.

X

He had taken Sharon from the hospital and driven her back to the LAPD where she was told by her doctor to rest up. They talked a little on the journey, she shared her fears with him about seeing the girl being raped, and he held her hand tight within his own. They were together on this path, for whatever she would need him to be.

It was standing in his office that Will first started putting things together. The thought of the girl laying perfectly still while he raped her, while he washed her…it clicked. He looked up the address of Doctor Crippen, who had retired after he had broken his leg and it took longer to heal than planned, and went off to find him. The Doctor welcomed him in, wished him good luck for the Chief job and poured two cups of coffee.

"You know I've thought about coming in a couple of times, seeing if you needed my help at all with the UCLA killer case. I had to deal with all nine girls, it was rough. California is well known for serial killers, although those are usually in the fives, maybe sixes before we catch them. This was something else," Doctor Crippen admitted, taking a gulp of his coffee.

Will nodded, drinking his own beverage. "Well he killed another girl this morning; it'll hit the press later on I'm sure. It makes twelve now, sadly. I was wondering if you could tell me about the tox screens you ran on the girls."

Doctor Crippen thought it over for a moment before shaking his head. "With the first couple of girls, the MO wasn't apparent enough for us to check anything, we just thought it was a simple murder, as bad as that sounds. Money was tight back then, we didn't have the sort of funding to check every murder. We did some tox screens on the bodies we had from about the fifth girl onwards. But tox screens take time, especially back in 1998, there was a lot of pressure and it would be almost twenty four hours before we got down to testing blood. They were more concerned with a sexual examination, looking for fibres and anything to catch the killer."

"So anything that would be in their systems would have probably dissolved by the time you got around to checking on it. We did tox screens on the new girls, but they may have been too late. We were concerned with finding Eddie Hanson and why he does it, rather than what he does. Thank you Doctor."

Will Pope left Crippen's house and went to Doctor Morales to order a tox screen for their latest victim, Jennifer Buckingham. He looked at the girl on the slab, so cold and so dead. He sighed - she made twelve girls, twelve victims he couldn't save. What he found ironic was that this case was the first one he had when he came to the LAPD. It could very well be his last.

Once he had the results, he went straight up to Major Crimes. There was no one there apart from Sharon working on the stack of missing girls from UCLA and the surrounding campus area. He kissed her on the cheek and sat down next to her.

"Where is everybody?"

Sharon sighed. "All at the crime scene, interviewing witnesses and her family. We've been told to stay here, keep away from it all. Flynn has gone to a meeting, he and Chief Johnson had a blow out this morning - I heard most of it in my hospital room. How are you?"

Will waved a piece of paper in front of her face. "I've got it."

"Whatever it is, I don't want it."

He looked at her funnily before handing over the piece of paper. "The girl that came in this morning, we got her just in time. I also double checked with the blood that was on Flynn's clothing, its faint in both but it's there. Carisoprodol."

"You've lost me."

Will put his papers down on the table. "It's a drug, a muscle relaxant. Take enough of the pills, and within half an hour you're stiff as a board. You'll be drowsy, and the killer can do anything to you. It's got a reasonably short half life, so by the time we've been getting around to checking, it's out of the system. It's easily dissoluble in water."

Sharon nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I know. I've read the literature. When I've had motorcycle accidents before they've made me take this, pills are called Soma. If I remember correctly, they also dissolve well in alcohol. Perfect way to mask that bitter taste."

Will nodded, piecing everything together. "It's so simple - it really is. You get a girl over for some sort of meeting; you give her a beverage whether it be water or alcohol, depending on the time and she drinks it. Sort of noticing the bitter taste but not quite. Half an hour to take effect, and then he's on her."

She skimmed the literature and her eyes lit up on something. "It's by prescription only. I'll get Tony to check on anyone in LA County who has a prescription for this and bring them in. I'll also talk to narcotics, they're highly addictive and semi legal so it's a good street drug."

Will moved over to kiss Sharon; they had another lead and were going strong. Their foreheads bumped and they looked at each other, smiling. Things were finally starting to fall into place.

X

It had been planned, and although Flynn was less than happy for her going out considering she had been hospitalised earlier that day, Sharon found herself being dropped outside the Pope residence. Inside, Will was getting the children ready for the cinema trip. Brendan and Caitlin hugged Sharon before they ran to get their toys. Tommy came down the stairs, also dressed to go out.

"Hey kiddo, how's tricks?" Sharon asked, putting an arm around Tommy. He hugged her tight, and she held him back. It was hard, seeing bodies at his age. You never got used to it, and she had seen dead bodies right from being a teenager.

"I'm okay, I guess. Professor Hadley called me; he said that the summer school is cancelled. It sucks, but tomorrow all the new freshmen who were signed up are meeting to talk and grab a coffee. He's hoping it'll all be settled by the end of the summer."

"I hope so too."

Once Will was ready, he got his keys and took everyone out of the house and into the car. Sharon was in the front seat with Will, his hand resting on her thigh. Tommy smiled as he talked about the film with his siblings, who were holding their toys tight.

The film itself was entertaining, the older three remembering when the first two films had come out. After they left the cinema, Will suggested going out for dinner. They found a child friendly restaurant and got great seats by the window. Will was a perfect gentleman, pulling out chairs for Caitlin and Sharon and taking their coats. The adults helped the kids with their gift packs, and Sharon had to hide the ketchup bottle from Brendan, much to everyone's amusement.

Half way through dinner, Tommy raised his glass of lemonade to the group. The two children with their apple juice raised their glasses too, and Will raised his. Sharon joined them.

"To Sharon. It's been an incredible tough few months for all of us, and we've all missed you incredibly. Welcome back to the Pope family."

Will wondered if Sharon would get upset, not wanting to rush things but she clinked glasses with everyone and kissed Will on the cheek. She had never looked more beautiful, stealing chips off of Tommy's plate when he was staring at their pretty waitress, and waiting in line with the kids to get toppings on her ice cream. They danced on the way back to the car, Will's arm around her waist as they walked. In the car on the way home they listened to the radio, and for the first time Sharon heard Will sing.

He parked up the car and told the kids to get inside and get ready for bed; they had been out later than planned. Will kissed Sharon, and turned to her. "Want me to call a taxi to pick you up?"

"Not just yet."

Tommy retired quickly to bed, and Will watched as Sharon got the two monsters under their covers by reading them a bedtime story. Soon enough they were alone and downstairs, Will locking up the backdoor of the house. On the sofa he put his arm around her, smiling.

"Thank you for tonight, Will, it was an amazing time."

"Thank you for coming. Thank you for coming back to me."

She fiddled with his collar, before kissing him slowly on the mouth, taking her time to familiarise herself with his taste again. As the kiss deepened, his hands moved up her back, stroking the scars he found there with delicacy. She felt bold, she felt wanted, she felt loved.

"I love you, Will."

Slowly, she moved from her space next to him on the sofa and sat on his lap, straddling him. Sharon hesitated for a moment before moving downwards to sit atop his crotch. She gulped, and Will moved his hands down to cradle her, clutching onto her arse. She moaned, enjoying the familiar sensations and the heat growing in her stomach. They kissed again, slower than before, with their eyes open to watch the other respond.

"I love you, Sharon, more than anything."

As they kissed, she felt him start to harden. She tried to keep with him, lose herself in the moment but she couldn't do it any longer and she moved away from him, sitting back on the sofa. Will left her alone for a moment and came back calm with a glass of water. She took it gladly, and he sat next to her on the sofa and put on the television.

"Are you mad at me?" Sharon asked in a small voice, just as the programme ended. They had been in silence for some time.

He kissed her on the cheek, smiling at her. "I could never be mad at you. Your pace, we discussed this. Want me to call you a taxi?"

"Please."

Will kissed her nose as she said goodbye to him and onwards to her hotel room and a waiting Flynn. Inside the Pope household, Will smiled at the memory and of the engagement ring still in his pocket. Soon.

X

He made sure he was late for his meeting, not wanting to repeat what happened on Monday. When he got there, Hadley wasn't there but there were five future freshmen who were still staying on campus. As Tommy sat down, a brunette with glasses turned to him and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Sarah. You're Tommy Pope, aren't you? Your father's going for the head of the LAPD."

"He is indeed," Tommy said, smiling at her. She was pretty, and he could see a stack of newspapers in her bag. "Research?"

She laughed and turned to the pages. "I'm working on a paper about the UCLA Killer, best to get all the research while it's fresh. My father, Doctor Simon Baker, was writing a paper on the topic but he died last year in a road accident."

"I'm sorry."

Sarah brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's okay; I've just made sure that I'm going to finish his work. I'm going to catch the UCLA Killer before anyone else does."

The other members in the group turned around to look at her. She was positive, confident, and for a moment she reminded Tommy of Brenda Leigh Johnson. Several of the others started asking questions about what she had discovered, about whom her prime suspects were. No one knew that Tommy was the one who found Maria Benson on Monday; he hadn't wanted it to be public knowledge. Sarah talked about the teachers who had turned up in the past two years, giving them enough time to gain the trust of their students. She believed that the recent art connection led the police to the most obvious suspect of Freddy Beckett - the new Art Professor who had a history of assault.

"Maybe you should mention it to your father, give them a leg up in catching him," one of the boys at the table muttered.

Tommy looked at the kids, the vultures surrounding the table. He now realised why police officers with degrees were about as much use as a chocolate teapot. Police work was more attitude than aptitude. "You're all fools. You think this is some type of game, that these girls are just statistics, a footnote in your papers? I'll tell my Dad about your little suggestion, but the UCLA Killer is smart enough not to make the same mistake twice. If you'll excuse me."

As he headed out of the door of the coffee shop he bumped into his professor. From the look on his face, Hadley had heard everything that Tommy had said, and he was proud of him. Feeling better than he had done in ages, Tommy decided to pick Caitlin and Brendan up early from the summer school and take them to the beach. He felt like ice cream.

X

"Wake up. Wake up."

Flynn took the opportunity and hit Sharon with a pillow. She groaned and her eyes opened, and she started hitting him back. After a moment play fighting, he toppled down to the floor, pulling out the paper that had come with their room service breakfast.

"_Serious failings in police work_. We need to do better."

Sharon rested her chin on Flynn's shoulder. "We will do. We don't need to be in till eleven for the meeting, do you want to go look at that place we saw? It's only a rental, so we can stay there for a couple of months until things get sorted out."

"Sounds good to me." Flynn turned the paper over and saw the date. "Huh. It's July 22nd."

She stroked her stomach before getting out of bed and getting changed out of her pyjamas. Flynn's back was turned, thankfully, so he didn't have to see the array of scars on her back and now the two on her stomach. She pulled a shirt on. "Date important?"

"It's the anniversary of my mother's death. Fiftieth, if you can believe it. She's been dead longer than she was alive."

Sharon looked round to see that Flynn was staring at the front page of the paper. He put it down on the ground and joined her at the window. She was wearing a pair of jeans that were thick enough to accommodate her holster and not rub baby Raydor, as Flynn had dubbed her. She reached over and hugged his shoulder.

"You think I should call my sister, my brother? I don't know; I've never called them before. But this time it's different, we're talking and…I don't know. She died when I was six, Cancer. Cindy and Max don't really remember her all that well, but I do. She used to sing me to sleep; she taught me how to ride my bike. I miss her, even now after all these years I miss her."

They didn't talk anymore about it; instead they got dressed and booked an appointment to see the condo. It was rented on a month by month basis because of a murder that had happened a year ago, and it had never really attracted a clientele, a year lease put people off. So Andy and Sharon went round, Andy not especially pleased to see the place as he had worked the case. But it was a complete blank slate, it didn't come furnished.

"It's nice, and to be honest a month lease is damn good, you don't get those anymore," Sharon admitted and Flynn grinned. There was a large bathroom with a tub, two bedrooms and a spacious living room with a kitchen that Flynn could cook in. They both had enough money between them to get some place better, but they were living in a state of temporariness, and this was perfect for them.

"We'll take it," Flynn said, putting a toothpick in his mouth.

They signed the paperwork, and both decided at the weekend to move Sharon's stuff out of storage and bring it in there. The key had arrived from Annie, and she could now get back her clothes. They went for a walk afterwards, looking in shop fronts. Sharon found a baby shop, and Flynn dragged her inside, wanting to look at things.

"You know, if you don't want to tell Pope about her, I could step up," Flynn said, looking at the cribs that were in the corner of the shop. He could probably make one better than that. Once the girl was born and she had a name, he could carve it into the wood. "I know you love him and all that, but if things don't end up being a happy fairy tale, I could be Uncle Flynn. Help take care of her with you."

Sharon immediately hugged Andy, and he held her tight. She smiled at him. "Thank you for the offer, Andy. And you will most definitely be cool Uncle Flynn." He grinned, putting an arm around her middle. It seemed sad that between the two of them they were orphans, with only one half of their parental units remotely resembling a mother or a father. Sharon looked at the prices of one of the cribs and balked. "Think you can make me something better?"

"Yes ma'am."

They left the shop and walked around for a bit until they had to be at work. Sharon's arm linked with Flynn's as they walked, trying to be like everyone else.

X

Will was writing what they had learned about the UCLA Killer on the board. Tony had done his job and found out that Eddie Hanson had been taking a prescription for Carisoprodol way back in 1998. The Lieutenant was getting an accurate list as he wrote, and as soon as it came through they would be able to narrow down their list of suspects. He was still on a high from how well the night before had gone, and although Sharon had become a little scared about being intimate with him, just the feel of her lips was enough to make him smile.

"Morning, Will," Brenda greeted as she came in and put her handbag down on one of the desks. She, on the other hand, was not happy.

"Morning Brenda. How are things going with Flynn? Yelled at him recently?"

She gave him a look that he never wanted to experience again, so he just got back to writing his information on the board. He turned around and saw that she had already broken into a bar of chocolate and munching on it like a starving person, the only thing she was likely to have eaten all day.

Everyone had been sent out on leads, focusing on cross referencing the current pharmaceutical lead. Flynn was chasing down the former Amelia Hanson; she wasn't answering her current phone line. Sharon was getting Hanson's file and trying to find his address so they could go over to his house and check it out. Claudia and Simon were still looking for the tape.

"I don't apologise for yesterday, both of them screwed up because we threw them in at the deep end, desperate for them to be on this case. This week has been exceptionally hard on everyone, especially them and we're all tired. We've had three murdered girls, I've had to deal with potentially the end of my marriage and the one person who I want to talk to about it I can't."

Will brought Brenda into a hug, squeezing her tight. She relaxed against him, letting him comfort her. "When I was obsessed with Stroh, when Joey O brought it all back and now this I turned to him, he was the one person who I knew would understand what's going on. And now I can't even do that."

He cupped her face, kissing her on the forehead. Over the years their relationship had mellowed, but Will always wanted to be the one that she turned to. "You've got me, if you need me. As for Flynn, maybe you should tell him that. You obviously care for him, whatever denomination that may be. It scares you that you know someone who can understand you, and like you, and dare I say want you. Fritz is gone for a couple of days, maybe a week. Talk to Flynn, be honest and open with each other. Either way, you're going to have to accept that you two can't work together anymore."

As Will's phone rang, announcing that Sharon had found Hanson's address, Brenda thought over his words. It was completely unacceptable to her that she would never get to work with Flynn again, wouldn't have to yell at Flynn and Provenza as a pair. She would have to fix it, sort it out. She had known inter office relationships were a bad idea.

X

"So you got your own place with Flynn? That's great," Will said as they drove to Eddie Hanson's former house. "We can come and help you move in if you'd like."

Will's hand squeezed her knee and she found herself blushing. "Yeah, I'd like that."

They turned the road and found the old house. It was still in Hanson's name, the mortgage was paid on it outright, a condition of his divorce according to his neighbours. The house was old, but it looked in stable enough condition. It was on the end of a road, with a sloping garden at the back. Will opened the door for Sharon to get out of, and they headed across the road to the house.

"Mr Hanson, you in there?" Sharon asked, but there was no answer when she knocked on the door. They had a warrant, but there was really no need. Hanson wasn't there. She picked the lock on the front door and Will joined her in pulling his firearm out. She felt a thrill at seeing Will act all cop like, and he grinned when he saw her face. Focus.

They cleared the first floor of the house; there was nothing in the sitting room, or the kitchen. However, although the house from the outside was dirty and decrepit, the inside was clean, dust free. There was sparse furniture, but it was there.

"This creeps me out. It's like the place is frozen in time," Will admitted, looking in the cupboard under the stairs. Nothing there.

Everything had been unplugged; there was nothing in the fridge and freezer. There were plates, knives, forks, a box of cereal in the cupboard but that was about it. The view from the kitchen showed the sloping garden out back, with stairs going down to the road around the corner.

"Let's check upstairs," Sharon said, wanting to clear the house properly. She was getting a bad feeling about the garden, and she didn't know why.

They went upstairs, and together they cleared the bathroom, the spare bedroom. No one was there, they heard nothing either. No one had been there for quite some time. Will kicked open the door of the master bedroom, the only door that had been closed in the house. Immediately he started to gag.

"Sharon!"

She rushed to his side, gun out straight. On the bed there was a rotting corpse, shrivelled with time. About twelve year's worth of time. Sharon made sure to check under the bed, in the cupboard but there was no one else in the room with them apart from the corpse.

Will got his phone out. "Hey, Brenda, it's me. We're at Hanson's house, and we've got another girl. No sign of fibres on the body, no obvious sign of breaking of the bones and there's no sign of a struggle. I think we've got a thirteenth victim."

He ended the call and they put on gloves, looking around for any more traces of Eddie Hanson, but there wasn't any. There was a loft extension, and a ladder. They looked to it, although Sharon wasn't happy about Will going up first by his own. She had seen _Black Christmas_, and knew that icky things lived in lofts.

She waited impatiently at the bottom, waiting for his scream or his head to come rolling down but there was just silence, until: "Sharon, you need to come up here."

He reached for her hand and took her up into the loft. There was light coming in from a big window overlooking the garden, and that was when Sharon truly knew that she had arrested the right man the first time. There were several boards with pictures tacked up of all the girls that he had murdered back in 1998. But there was more, there was at least another six girls that he had pictures of, that he had notes for.

"We're missing six girls."

Will gripped Sharon's hand as they looked towards the board. His hand was shaking. "That's not why you need to look."

He spun her around and she turned towards the other side of the attic. There were two main boards, one had pictures of her, and one had pictures of Flynn. Old school pictures, old articles, a following of their careers. Photos of the two of them together kissing in cars, photographs of her undressing and showing the scars on her back, of Flynn downing a bottle of whisky in a supermarket car park. Her entire life displayed on the board.

"Look at the bottom."

She moved over and saw what Will had wanted her to see. The article at the bottom was about her rape and assault by Jimmy, and about the Webster case. She felt herself grow weak, and Will gripped onto her.

"He's been following you and Flynn for the past twelve years. And he's been here recently, honey. We need to get out of here, now."

Will made sure she went down first, and then went down as quick as he could after her. She needed some air, and Will left her alone in the garden while he waited for the units to come. A neighbour was out there gardening and he waved at her. Sharon went over and talked to them.

"Do you know the man who used to live here, Eddie Hanson?"

The neighbour nodded. "Yes, I did, ever since he moved in. I know he had some trouble with the law before he left, but he was always nice to me, shame about his wife leaving him."

"Do you know why she left him?"

"Was having an affair, had a baby with someone else. He threatened to kill her, yelling and screaming. I thought that's why the police brought him in initially, and then I heard about those poor girls. He had students over quite a bit, but he was a lecturer, and they were always in groups. I don't understand it myself, how a man so gifted with a garden could be a killer."

The neighbour went back to water his own flowers, but Sharon gripped his arm from over the fence. Will was coming down to join her to make sure she was okay. "Hanson was a gardener?"

"Yes, he was always in here, digging up the ground, planting flowers."

"Do you see anyone coming in here to water them?"

Sharon was gripping his arm tightly, and Will had to loosen her grip for the man. The neighbour looked down at the ground, nervous about talking to them. "A man comes in once a week to water the garden, tend to the house. I don't see him myself, he always comes in early. I just see him out of the corner of my eye, like a ghost. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

She thanked the man and looked towards the garden. She felt sick. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We've got ourselves a graveyard."

He held her until more uniforms and the rest of Major Crimes arrived to see what they had found.

X

Andy Flynn was wrapping up the last of his paperwork when Brenda Leigh Johnson came into the murder room and sat against his desk. She stroked the wood for a moment, remembering how she had looked at that desk and longed for someone to sit there.

"I heard we had a graveyard," Flynn said, looking at his work.

Brenda nodded. "Yeah we do. I can't believe it, but we do. They've got the body of one girl down in the morgue, and they're taking down his little shrine in the loft and trying to identify the girls. They're doing excavation work on the garden, seeing where they can find the missing five."

Flynn nodded, keeping his eyes on his work. He had tried calling Amelia, but no luck. He had managed to get through to their neighbour though, which had produced a lead. "Amelia and her husband were murdered last week in their homes, their throats were cut. They died late Saturday night, after I called Amelia on the Friday. Their son Alex is missing, he's about twelve."

She exhaled; this wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I guess we have another two bodies to add to our list. Do you think it could be the son that's doing this? Maybe the son is Hanson's, maybe Daddy went over to visit."

"Kids twelve."

"I've heard of younger killers. I don't know…are the police in North Carolina searching for him?"

"Yeah they are. They'll keep us informed. I talked to some more parents today, Jennifer's. I just…it's getting harder, with every girl."

His hand moved over the desk and gripped onto Brenda's fingers, clutching them close within his own. He looked up at her face and saw that there was a single tear slipping down her cheek. She looked down at their fingers and she pulled away from him.

"I want to work with you Flynn; I want to be your partner in this. I want to work together and catch this bastard but I can't do it if I…if I'm constantly wondering whether this is going to explode in my face, because it feels like it is. I can't work with you and have feelings for you. I need this relationship to remain purely professional."

He nodded, and returned to his work. He took a picture of Jennifer Buckingham and walked up to place her photograph on the board. She watched him, watched him sigh as he stuck it up and took a step back. He had seen her in her last minutes, seen the light fade out of her eyes. Instead of returning to his desk, his legs gave out from under him and he sat on the cold floor of the murder room.

"Flynn?"

He looked at her, and smiled sadly. "You know, I've been married twice, and neither of them got the job, what it meant to be a cop, what it meant to get justice for the victim. Sharon came close, she gets the work, gets to protect and to serve, but she's not cut out for catching killers, she's been on the side of the victim too many times. But you, _you_. From the moment I met you I knew you'd understand. I'm sorry you want this to be professional, I'm sorry that our friendship has got confused with our feelings but I need you. More than I want you." He looked at her with sad eyes, full of emotion. "I need you."

Brenda broke down and joined him on the floor, gripping onto him. His words were exactly everything she had wanted to say to him. She began to shake, tears racking her. "His boards. They look like mine; they look like mine with all of Stroh's victims on them."

They continued to hold each other, until Flynn gripped her hand and took her away from the murder room. She didn't ask where they were going, just held onto his hand. They stopped at a florist who was planning to close up for the day, and Flynn bought some flowers. They headed to the pier, all the while holding the others hand.

"We leave a flower on their graves, every year. They're never forgotten. No one is ever forgotten in this work - you always remember those that didn't get their justice."

Brenda started first, dropping a rose in the water for each of Stroh's victims. Flynn let nine roses float into the water, for each of the girls that he had failed in 1998. Together, holding hands, they dropped a rose in for Keighley Weaver, for Maria Benson, for Jennifer Buckingham and the six girls yet to be identified in the house of horrors. There was still a rose left in Flynn's hand.

"Who is that for?" Brenda asked.

A tear trickled down Flynn's face, dropping into the petals of the rose. "My mother," he whispered. He coughed, and his voice grew stronger. "She died of Cancer when I was a kid. Today's the anniversary."

He dropped the last rose into the water, and watched as it bobbed and floated along into the black ocean. Brenda rested a hand on his shoulder, and he cradled her cheek. She didn't resist, and he pressed his lips to hers, taking it slow, just wanting to lose herself in her. He pulled back for a moment, looking at her face, into her eyes.

"I need you, Brenda Leigh Johnson."

Her hand moved down her side and reached to grip his, fingers tightening. "I need you too."

They looked out over the ocean, feeling as lost as the flowers under the waves.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_Cards from the Memorial Book at the Young Women of UCLA Memorial Service, 30__th__ July 2010 _

_Eleanor, I hope you are happy up in heaven. I miss you every day, and every year I leave your favourite flowers. I love you, Eleanor. - Your loving sister Rebecca_

_Quinn, I never got to tell you a million things before you left the house that day. I hope now you know how much I love you, and how much I miss you. God rest my darling - Mom _

_To Madeline and April, two of the best friends a girl could know. It has been twelve years since I saw your smiling faces. I'm now working as a doctor, and with every life I save, I am pleased. With every life I don't, I hope you are in heaven guiding them. Janey x_

_Jennifer, my beautiful girl, my rock. I miss you. - Alex_

_Keighley, there is some part of me that is not quite right now, it just seems insane to me that you are no longer here. I think about you every day, and I hope that wherever you, are you are happy. Your brother x_

_To Madeline, April, Eleanor, Julie, Leah, Rebecca, Louise, Samantha, Wilhelmina, Keighley, Maria, Jennifer, Bella, Stephanie, Natalie, Salma, Quinn and Sally: _

_Every year we leave a flower on your graves, we drop a flower in the water to always remember your good spirit, your kind souls. As we leave here today we will continue to remember you, and strive for the justice that you deserve. _

_Andy Flynn and Sharon Raydor _

_Salma: Although we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil, as we know you are looking over us. Our love for you is forever, and we hope one day to see you in heaven. Mom and Dad and Michael _

_To Maddy, April, Eleanor, Julie, Leah, Becca, Louise, Sam, Mina, Kay, Maria, Jenny, Bella, Steph, Nat, Salma, Quinn and Sally: _

_You eighteen girls are very special, as you have all transcended the useless careers you were pursuing, the meaningless lives that would have led to suicide or a house and a car and a brood of children in the suburbs. You are now infamous. People will speak of my gallery of girls for years to come. I hope to one day see all of you again, burning in the abyss._

_Edward Hanson _

_Julie, we all miss you on the team. Our senior year we were led to victory by your guiding spirit, and now every time I play I can feel you on my wings. See you on the flipside, Stacey xxx_

_Maria Benson, I have never met you, but I hope your soul is resting away from this place of tormented agony. Tommy Pope _

_Mason, we were the two Rebecca's in our class - do you remember? For my last two years at UCLA there was only me, and an empty seat. May the angels keep you safe, Jackson x_

_To the ever trustful, reliable and honest Andy Flynn - be seeing you soon. EH. _

X

It felt weird to be back at Parker Centre, especially when there wasn't a lot left in the building. It was a hollow shell of what it once was, just a lingering filing cabinet in the corridor, a few case files scattered over carpet. Most of the insides had been sold at police auction. However, that meant that the job set to them by Chief Johnson had been made even harder.

"Simon, stop screwing around, we need to find that tape."

They had gone through the new Cold Case department with a fine tooth comb, but it wasn't there. Checking on where the new cabinets had gone had revealed nothing either - most of them were now in a dentist's office. A cursory rummage through had not produced a tape. So that left Parker Centre, and now they were desperately searching for it. Simon was using the empty corridors to practice his skateboarding moves, and Claudia was rolling her eyes. She kicked out her leg, forcing Simon to roll down the floor and whack his head straight into one of the remaining cabinets.

"Bitch!"

"Screw you, let's do some work!" Claudia pulled Simon up and they continued to search through the offices. They had been at it for two days now, and they hadn't found anything of any interest, apart from some marijuana that narcotics had forgotten to take to the new evidence locker.

They were in some random office, looking over files when Simon turned to his friend. "Do you reckon there's anything going on between the Chief and Flynn?"

Claudia gave him a look before shaking her head. "No way in hell. She's _married_, Simon, and who would want to sleep with Flynn anyway?"

"I wouldn't mind," Simon stated and the two laughed. They hadn't been like this in a while, completely relaxed. The return of their Captain had meant that things had become calmer. They were back to how things were, although not quite. There were still a few things lingering in the backs of their minds.

The two of them decided to move on up a floor. Claudia turned to Simon, hands in her pockets. "Well…I mean, you've seen the way they look at each other. There's something there."

"Exactly!" Simon grinned. "That's what I've been trying to tell people - she was so upset and uptight these past few months, yelling at anyone who sat in Flynn's chair and you saw how happy she was when he came back. Now suddenly she's yelling at him all the time, and chewing him out…something's happened, most definitely."

They finally got to the former offices of FID, a place they hadn't been in many months. Simon took an intake of breath as he looked around the room, seeing ghosts wander around. The most obvious thing was Jimmy's desk. They could see the smiling young man behind the desk, watching as the Captain went past and told them off.

"I wish I could talk to him once more." Simon admitted. "Just to ask why he did it, why he did that to her, to us. He was my friend and now the past few years with him feel rotten."

Claudia wrapped an arm around Simon's collar bone and held onto him tight. She then looked around. "Oh fuck Brody, bastard. He left some boxes behind. Asshole."

They brought some of the boxes down and had a look through them, seeing old case files, people that had long since retired. These were the old cases, back when FID had first started in 2001. They laughed as they looked at some of the pictures in the boxes, recognising their Captain's flowing hand on notes.

Simon pulled out a box, pushed right to the back of the storage area. There was no date, no case reference. As he opened it up he found photos of girls that seemed oddly familiar. As he pulled it out he found handwritten case notes, crime scene photographs that seemed replicas of ones that were on the board back at the new headquarters. And at the bottom of the box, he found a tape.

"I think the Captain's been holding out on us," Simon sighed, turning to Claudia and holding up the tape. The notes were written in the familiar hand, and as he found a tape player at the back of the office, the tones of her voice were apparent. They had found the tape, but they weren't sure if they hadn't found a whole world of trouble as well.

X

Sharon went into work a little late that morning. She had been dragged out baby shopping with Willie Rae. They had picked up the keys from the landlord and they had bought a few things to go with the crib that Flynn was going to start building at the weekend. Now that she was definitely keeping her child, she wanted to get a head start on things as quick as possible. She had made a promise with herself that before she turned six months and finished her second trimester she was going to tell Will that she was pregnant. She was starting to show anyway, her stomach was getting more rounded.

"Morning Captain," greeted Sergeant Gabriel.

She smiled at him. "Morning Sergeant, everything okay?"

"Chief wants to see you in her office."

"Okay, thanks."

She knocked on the door, and when she was welcomed in she looked around the room and immediately started to feel uneasy. She wasn't sure whether it was the Spanish inquisition or some sort of LAPD firing squad. Brenda was sitting at her desk, with Taylor and Will standing either side of her. Flynn was in the seat in front of them. She took the seat next to him, worried at the looks on all of their faces. Had another girl been murdered and she hadn't heard about it?"

"Okay, you're worrying me, what's going on?"

Brenda looked at her and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She turned to Will, and he looked disappointed in her. The Southern Chief held up a cassette tape with her handwriting down the side. "Claudia and Simon found the tape of your interview with Eddie Hanson."

"Great! So what's the problem?"

"The problem is, Captain, that the tape was found in the FID offices, with a bunch of your case files. You knew where the tape was all along and you've wasted considerable man hours in the search for this, time better spent trying to find the man in the first place!" Brenda was not impressed. "And after your less than impressive trip to the hospital the other day, I am trying to wonder what side you are on."

Sharon couldn't feel the baby, she had stilled. She wanted to reach down and reassure her that everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't. She just turned and smiled at Brenda, avoiding Will's gaze. "I didn't know where the tape exactly was, I had no idea what had been done with the files, and like what we considered happened to the Cold Case files - the tape could have fallen out, could have been destroyed. The tape is…its personal, Chief. You've never faced anyone like Eddie Hanson before, and judging from what we found in his house he had been obsessed with me and Flynn for quite some time."

Brenda nodded, pulling up a picture of the two of them making out in Flynn's battered old car. "So I see. Lieutenant, have you got anything to add?" She asked sharply.

"Why are you getting mad at me? She was the one who hid the tape!"

Sharon hit him on the arm and Taylor had to cough to revert them back to their mature ages. Brenda looked at the picture, and at the second one that Hanson had taken. "Okay, so apart from Eddie Hanson being married, apart from you keeping the tape, and apart from you two making out in your car off hours, is there anything else I need to know?"

Andy looked at Brenda, shifting in his seat. His gaze turned to Taylor, who just nodded. Flynn started to speak. "I was drinking while on the case. I quit after it, but I was drinking quite heavily. Some of the screw ups like not getting the right warrant that led to Hanson walking were because I was hung over, and drinking out of a flask."

If Sharon hadn't been sure that Brenda Leigh Johnson felt anything for Andy Flynn before, at that moment she was. The look of utter betrayal on her face was evident, and Flynn wasn't too happy about the revelation either. Taylor stepped in between the two parties, acting as Switzerland.

"In Flynn's defence Chief, and the tape will back this up, we had no physical evidence to tie Hanson, and he didn't confess, did exactly the opposite. As soon as Hanson walked, the _day_, Flynn went to rehab."

"Well I'm sure if you hadn't screwed up on warrants you'd have got one to go to his house and found the dead girls there!" She was not impressed, and couldn't look at Flynn. She had done the maths in her head, knew that he had likely been drinking on the case but the truth stung. Brenda fingered the tape. "Well if that's everything, let's listen to the thing."

She moved away from her desk and took the cassette player that Tao had managed to find. The team gathered around, Sharon staying close to Flynn. Brenda was not looking at either of them. She put the tape in and pressed play. Andy found a chair and made Sharon sit down, noticing how pale she was becoming. A hiss, a crackle, and then the sound of Sharon's voice.

_"The date is July 12__th__, 1998. This is the interview of Edward Hanson, professor at UCLA. In the room also is Sergeant Sharon Raydor of the LAPD. The time is six fifteen. So, Mister Hanson, we meet again."_

_"Call me Eddie, Sergeant."_

_"Mister Hanson, do you know these girls?" _There was rustling on the tape; pictures were being put in front of Hanson.

_"I know _of _them. They are the girls murdered by the so called UCLA killer. Their pictures have been up all over the news, and you showed me some of their faces when you asked for my help in profiling the killer."_

_"Did you know any of them personally, Mister Hanson?"_

_"No."_

_"Really? Because I was talking to some people, working out a class list, and all these nine girls had friends in your classes." _

The room was quiet as they waited for Hanson's response. It came with a mild laugh. _"I'm sorry, Sergeant, but I'm sure that is a very large coincidence. There are many of my student's friends who have not ended up murdered."_

_"The seventh victim, Louise Rogers. One of your teaching assistants says she was in love with you."_

_"Would that be the teaching assistant whose bed she was left in? I expected better questions, Sergeant, honestly. I am here to help, am I not? I helped before. Now, I was going through some old files and found out about another killer, this time at USC. Three people were killed, you turned to a professor for guidance and turns out he was the one doing it. What did he say when you and Andy arrested him? "How many killers have I created with my class?" Did you think that maybe one of his students is getting his revenge, the student becoming the master?"_

Brenda stopped the tape and turned towards Andy and Sharon, looking for an explanation on another piece of evidence they had forgotten to tell her about. Taylor, thankfully, took up the post of explaining it.

"It was January 1997, and two boys had been murdered on the USC campus. I sent Flynn and Raydor, they investigated. They asked the professor of the two boys who would do such a thing, and he gave them a profile. A girl ended up murdered, like the two boys, _stabbed through the heart_. Turns out the professor had been having an affair with the girl; both the boys had slept with her and so he killed them, then killed her when she ended it all."

The Chief nodded, looking suspiciously at the two people in the corner. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"The kids who had been in his class were still there, all were accounted for. The MO doesn't match at all to the killings. However we thought that maybe Hanson had been 'inspired' by this guy, right down to helping us," Taylor intervened.

"Play the fucking tape," Sharon hissed, looking at the Chief with pure venom.

Brenda hit the button, staring at the Captain with dead eyes. Whatever had been built between all of them over the past months had been broken.

_"You followed that case?"_

_"Religiously. That's how I first heard your names, Sharon Raydor and Andy Flynn. I was doing a few classes there at the time, trying to make some ends meet. I've seen you two flourish, you really work well together, did you know that?"_

In the room, Sharon began to shake. Flynn clutched onto her hand. The sounds of Eddie Hanson were coming through clear as day.

_"You're a young officer, but you're good at your job. You've managed to bring me in here, which is definitely a credit to you. Now Sharon, may I call you Sharon? You're very good, but you have to know that I'm not going to tell you a damn thing about those charges you arrested me for. You on the other hand, you're a completely different story. I'd like to talk about you for a little while. Your partner has feelings for you; he clings to you every time I've seen you together. But you have a hard time letting him in; you're not the same, standing close and brushing limbs. I think someone betrayed you Sharon, fucked you up hard. And what about those scars, hmm? Those aren't the typical scars of a police officer, Sharon. They're vicious, wild, personal. They're all over you."_

Every eye was on Sharon, watching as her hands balled into fists. She was shaking. Flynn looked at the tape with horror. Brenda, as everyone said she would, was starting to realise just what sort of monster they were dealing with.

_"I have no idea what you're talking about."_

_"Of course you do Sharon. I saw you undress in that tiny impersonal home of yours. They're all over you. You _smell _of broken. Rotten goods. A little slut who couldn't keep her tongue in her mouth." _An echoing laugh. _"Andy likes a drink, doesn't he? I see the bottles in his car, does he taste of alcohol? Do you wish he'd smack you around, does that get you off, little Sharon Elizabeth Raydor? Your panties wet, blood dripping down your face?"_

The room was quiet, no one would speak. You could only hear the heavy breathing of Sharon Raydor on the tape.

_"I'm sorry pet, I really am. Go check with little Andy and your boss and see if you can hold me, because you know you can't." _Hanson's voice lowered to a whisper. _"Prim and proper Sharon Raydor, virginal legs clutched so tight. You remind me of those girls, afraid to live, always worrying what the world will think of them. They needn't have been so afraid; they will live on in the minds of everyone."_

_"Did you kill them?" _

_"Sharon, you can't kill something that's already dead. Like you. Lights are on, but there's no one home. Your soul has packed up and gone years ago. You better run along little Sharon Elizabeth. I left my Ouija board at home."_

The tape ended, leaving an empty silence in the room. No one spoke or did anything else. There was nothing really left to say anyway. Eddie Hanson was their killer, they knew that for sure. He knew how to worm his way under people's skin, the case would have gone to trial if they had been able to charge him, but he would have got off. Without a confession, everything was circumstantial. He had walked away because of their mistakes, and he had left, gone without a trace.

"Captain, I want to say I'm sorry," Brenda said charitably, realising that the tape hadn't provided them with anything they hadn't already known. But when she turned around, the Captain had gone.

X

He found her on the roof. She was in tears, looking out over the city. He didn't know what else to do but hold her close, let the tears fall down onto him. He kissed the top of her head, wanting to wash all the pain away from her, wanting to just provide a safe haven for her to turn to. Eventually the tears stopped and she just rested against him.

"We'll catch him, and when we do, he…he won't ever touch you, I promise you that. I'll kill him first," whispered Will against Sharon's ear, rubbing her back. His touch felt light, playful. She smiled at it, enjoying how warm he felt.

"I hate him. I hate him because he twisted everything me and Flynn felt for each other and made it dirty, made it rotten. He made me feel disgusting, he made me feel sick. I can't deal with it again."

Will moved his hands to cup her face. He stroked her cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Of course you can do it. You're _Sharon Raydor_, you can do anything. Beat anyone. I am _amazed _by you, and I thank God every day that you are with me, and that you love me."

She wrapped herself in his arms again, and he kissed the top of her head, holding her close. When they broke apart, he held her hand and joined her in looking over the city.

"I was told today that they're going to do a memorial service next Friday - they want to give us enough time to find the other six girls, if they're in the graveyard."

"I went to the one the last time, it was harsh. Now there are _eighteen _girls that we failed…if we don't catch him soon I'm going to have to retire again - no one is going to stand for this, especially not Brody if he becomes Chief."

"If it's me, I'll make you stay. Don't give up, we've got him, we're so close now. We'll get him, I promise you."

Sharon held onto Will again, breathing in the smell of him, feeling the texture of his hands and his suit on her skin. As much as she wanted to be calm, feel relieved, she had said those words too many times, especially in this case. They never came true.

X

The neighbours watched from their fences, watched as the empty house at the end of the road was decimated, emptied, hollowed out. Andy Flynn stood at the top of the garden, looking at the archaeological site going on in Eddie Hanson's back yard. They had never searched his house when he had been arrested in 1998 - they had searched his office and car without a warrant but they had been refused the warrant for his house. The case had been over in a matter of hours.

"How's it going, Jack?"

Doctor Jack Pierce was the county's forensic archaeologist, and thankfully he spent most of his time working in lecture halls then he did suited and booted. The LAPD only called him up when they had a graveyard on their hands which was, thankfully, a rarity.

"Well we identified the woman that was up in the room, she's in the morgue now and thanks to our killer's handy scrapbook on the walls; we've got a clear picture with dental records. Her name is Bella Mulroney."

Andy nodded. "When I get back to base I'll get a detective on finding out her background. Any more bodies?"

"We did some image analysis, that's what's been taking us so long; we wanted to see if there were any crevices in the dirt. According to the neighbour there used to be heavy trees in here, so we think he may have buried the girls in previous tree stumps, saving on digging, but we don't know for sure." Pierce wiped his brow. "We've gone through three layers of soil so far - we're taking it slow so not to disturb any forensic evidence. But if I killed these girls, I'd bury them as deep as I could. In a residential area like this, dogs get out. Don't want some canine digging up a bone."

"DOCTOR PIERCE!"

The harsh call alerted Andy and Jack to a discovery, and the two made their way down their steps to see what the fuss was about. One of the young technicians that Pierce had drafted to cover one of the holes was pointing to a finger bone jutting out of the soil. Andy cursed.

"Okay, everyone stop what you're doing! I want everyone on this hole, excavating it step by step. Call the morgue, we've got a little friend that I want them to meet."

As Andy went to go summon the morgue, there was another call for Pierce. Another girl had been uncovered. Instead of calling for the morgue, he called Brenda Leigh Johnson.

She came a couple of hours later, having been stuck in the audio room listening to Hanson's tape over and over again. When she got there, she brushed past Flynn, barely acknowledging him. As she looked out over the garden and seeing what had been done, she gasped. There were now two burial pits dug out into the ground, and two bodies were being removed to the morgue.

"Just two girls so far?"

"Just two. They've got some more tree stumps at the back they're turning to investigate." Andy took a leap of faith and reached for Brenda's hand as he took her over to one of the burial pits. She immediately took it back. "They've got them fairly settled; they don't think there are any more bones. Once they've excavated the others, they're going to go back and keep digging, make sure we haven't missed anything."

Brenda just nodded in response, still angry at Flynn from earlier and not wanting to talk to him. As she leaned in to get a better look at the hole, some loose ground slipped underneath her heels and she went tumbling into the grave.

"Chief!"

Lying in the grave, Brenda was still. She felt like she might have twisted her ankle, something didn't feel right. But as she looked around, she wondered if she felt as terrified as the girls had done - had they been buried alive? Had Hanson experimented with how he killed those girls?

"Chief?" Flynn offered her his hand gently.

"I think I've done something to my ankle, Andy." He nodded and asked for Jack to come up and help her out of the grave. The coroner's assistant gave a quick look at it, but it was just a heavy twist - she'd be fine in a couple of hours. Andy held onto her as they sat down on Hanson's tacky patio furniture and watched as they continued to dig for more dead bodies.

"I'm sorry we kept information from you, Chief. We understand we fucked up considerably on this case, there were so many mistakes towards the end with getting a conviction of Hanson, and we have to live with that every day, that we screwed up so badly. This doesn't rest easy on my soul, Brenda, my drinking. Our dating. He used us, manipulated us."

Brenda clutched Flynn's hand. "It's okay, Andy. I was listening to that tape, and it occurred to me that with the pictures, with everything - you must have met him at USC while you were investigating that other case. He saw you, saw something in the two of you - these girls are linked to the two of you in ways that I can't begin to imagine. He started killing before you two met him, but you were the key to his coming out. He wanted to play you. It's always been about you two."

As Flynn took in that information, he also took in the position of Brenda's hand. It was clinging onto his tight. He had to smile. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

"You said."

"I'm sorry for lying to _you_. Broke my heart."

They continued to watch until Pierce was called for again. They had found another girl, this time in shallower soil. Andy texted the coroner to come back, it was going to be a long evening.

X

She needed some time with her team, and she had decided to take them all out for dinner at Otto's. She hadn't been to see him since her return, she didn't even know if he knew she was back. She had met her team outside, and they had hugged her before going in and getting a table. It seemed strange that there was no Jimmy, however much she hated him.

As soon as they walked in the door, Otto's head looked up from the kitchen and saw her. He put his cutlery down and immediately swept onto the floor and hugged her. He whispered words in Italian that no one around them understood, prayers and hopes coming true that she would be alright. She hugged him back, crying. Whenever a man broke her in two, she would run. But she would always come back, and she would always return to Otto.

He waited on their table personally, and the group ordered large amounts of food and drink. Sharon went for soft drinks, leading to a look from Otto. But he didn't say anything, and the group continued on as they were. Halfway through dinner, Tony raised his glass.

"I think everyone here agrees that we need to get some things out in the open if we're going to work as a team again. We've been apart for too long, we've been split up and now we're back together. I think we need to be honest with each other, not bottle everything up," Tony declared, raising his glass a little higher. "Simon, Claudia: you are amazing police officers but sometimes I wish you would grow the fuck up. Captain, Brody screwed us all over, and if you haven't had left then he wouldn't have done it."

The group nodded, and Tony exhaled. Simon was on his left, and decided it was his turn. "Tony, I understand that you are a grown up but to be honest seeing dead eighteen year old girls raped and murdered makes me want to cry and curl up into a ball, so if I act ridiculous it's a coping mechanism. Claudia, darling, I wish you smoked less, you smell like an ashtray. And Captain, I get why you left, but by leaving you left this department to the wreck it is now." Simon chugged down his entire glass, his words making him relax. It had been building for a while.

Claudia fiddled with the cigarette in her pocket before taking a sip of her drink and turning to her best friend. "Simon, honey, I love you, but you need to grow a pair of balls my friend, tell your family what's what because it's not on how they are treating you. Tony, we may be silly but at least we didn't run off and join Major Crimes because we couldn't take it. We _can_. And Captain, I get why you left, I really do. But we've been adrift without you, and Brody has come in and is going to wreck us all. And I missed you damn it."

Claudia reached over and gave Sharon a hug, which she eagerly returned. Sharon looked at her officers with a smile; this is why she had come back. For them, for this team that she had worked on from the ground up, that she had rescued from other departments who couldn't appreciate them.

"I have missed you three so much, I really have. And I get that you are angry that I left, but I couldn't go back to Parker Centre and see the ghost of Jimmy through those corridors, sitting at that desk. I know a part of me misses him, and I'm sure you all do too. He was a part of our lives, our friend. But we never knew the true Jimmy, we only knew a façade. As for Brody, I'll tell you this - we are not going to go down without a fight. We are going to solve this case and I am going to use every single connection I have to make sure we get FID back, and Brody ends up working in traffic. To FID."

"To FID!" They all chorused, clinking glasses in the middle of the table.

They joked and talked and ate some more, but eventually it had to end. Sharon lingered in the doorway wanting to talk to Otto. They all hugged her tight, clinging on. Now they had everything out in the open, they could move on, be a family again. They would recover from what Jimmy did. Back inside, Otto produced a bowl of ice cream for her.

"It is good seeing you all together again."

Sharon nodded, smiling. "It was good. You know I shouldn't have run off the way I did, but I just couldn't help it. After the hospital, after the funeral, after just everything and waking up to those scars I just wanted to run away as fast as I could. I'm sorry I haven't called."

Otto kissed her forehead. "It's okay, I'm used to it with you, but you always come back. So, when are you due?"

Sharon giggled, looking down at her rounded stomach. She was getting bigger. "Half way through November. I thought you'd notice."

They laughed and he turned to her, thankfully not asking her who the father was. He knew about her and Pope, and he knew she had been raped. Maybe he was putting things together so she didn't have to. "Have you thought of names?"

"Michaela."

Otto grasped Sharon's hand and kissed the knuckles as they looked to the board on the wall and the picture of a young Sharon and her father Michael. She had slowly been returning to normal, and remembering a part of her childhood felt wonderful. Felt like home. Her baby girl agreed as she kicked hard against her hand.

X

Will was sitting behind his desk, his eyes blurry. It had been a long day, and it was looking to be an even longer night. They had discovered four more bodies at the gravesite, and were trying to find a fifth just to make sure they hadn't missed a girl from the attic. He was worried about Sharon in particular - she had been getting so happy and healthy and now with Hanson's obvious attachment to her, he was worried what was going to happen. He wanted to suggest that she come live with him, but that would be pushing things too far, too quickly.

Flynn and Sharon had requested Saturday off, and Brenda had given it to them. They'd both had a hard week, and they needed to recuperate before things got too heavy. Will was taking a couple of hours out of his day to help them move in, get things set up. It felt like her staying was permanent, if there was ever such a thing in this world. Marriages could be dissolved; children could be divvied up like any other possession. The only thing that seemed certain in this world was death.

"Evening Will, burning the midnight oil?"

He looked up from his desk to see Brody standing there, smiling. They had never got along, and over time that relationship had turned to pure hatred. He nodded, returning the bitter smile of Brody's. "Just wrapping up a few pieces of paperwork, want to keep on top of things."

"Understandable, this is a hard case."

Without being offered a seat, Brody sat in front of Will, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Will didn't like where this was heading, no good could come out of that smile. "You've played it like a pro, Will. I'm actually very impressed with how well you've done; I didn't think you had it in you. I figured you would get in with the mayor, take over this investigation yourself, push everyone. After all, Assistant Chief, Director of Operations is directly one down from the Chief himself. But you haven't done."

Will didn't say anything, just watched as Brody leaned back in his chair, grinning. "We all know you're going to get it now, and why wouldn't you? I mean this case is a dog's breakfast: the two retired police officers who came back to help have been lying to you; you've had three murdered girls and are tracking a man who could very well be dead. But despite that, you're coming out on top."

"We will catch the UCLA Killer; it's only a matter of time. Now, Brody, if you'll excuse me…"

A laugh, a chill. The laugh sounded so familiar, that mocking laugh. Like Eddie Hanson on the tape. "I'll excuse you Will, don't worry. Getting your ex squeeze and the head of Internal Affairs on side was a good plan. Even more so was you trusting your whore to get her work done, and for you just to 'help out' rather than lead. Good move, I wouldn't have thought about that. Of course your best move was concerning Raydor."

His eyes flashed dark. He didn't like where this was going at all, and he could see that Brody knew it, was taunting him. He tried not to rise to his words, but it was going to be difficult. "Your taking it slow approach - you seem like a perfect gentlemen. With her by your side, you'll get the women's votes; you'll be tough on rape and be concerned with feminine issues as well as being a man's man. And best yet, you don't even have to fuck her, she can just stand by your side, your perfectly damaged little slut."

Will pushed his desk back onto Brody and moved over, pulling punch after punch, letting out all his anger. Anger at someone having done that to Sharon, anger at having sent Beatie there in the first place. Anger at not being in control of _everything _anymore. When he saw the broken photo frame of him and his kids, he pulled back, resting his hands against his legs. They were broken, much like Brody's face, which was covered in blood. He had never had that sort of rage before, never let go like that.

Instead of crying, Brody laughed. He stood up, took his handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and wiped most of the blood off of his face as best as he could. "Well, maybe you're not such a slam dunk after all, Will. We'll have to see."

Brody left his office, and Will was there with the mess, wondering what he had done and when he had become so violent. His mind flashed back to the tape, and he wondered if he should even be with Sharon at all.

X

"We are here to celebrate the lives and mourn the deaths of eighteen girls who were taken before their time. And although we as a community come from many different nations, many different religions and backgrounds we have come together to honour the lives of these girls."

Keighley Weaver's funeral had been on Monday. Maria Benson was buried on Tuesday. Jennifer Buckingham would be buried next Wednesday. The bodies of the six girls on Hanson's walls had thankfully been uncovered, and had been identified. Now, as there had not been a body in a week and a half since the murder of Jennifer, it was time to mourn.

"We pray that the souls of Madeline Parker, April Danes, Eleanor Pace, Julie Daniels, Leah Carver, Rebecca Mason, Louise Rogers, Samantha Rednall, Wilhelmina Sampson, Keighley Weaver, Maria Benson, Jennifer Buckingham, Bella Mulroney, Stephanie Clay, Natalie Bauer, Salma Queneau, Quinn Danvers and Sally Hartley find their way into the lords loving arms, and that he protects them in heaven, in a way he could not do on this plain."

Everyone was at the memorial service. Senators, Governors, the Mayor. All the candidates for Chief had turned up, making sure they were seen to be sympathetic and part of the investigation. Seventeen of the girls had representation, grieving families who wanted to celebrate the life of their daughters. They had found family for the six missing girls and gave them closure. Will was there, Tommy by his side. Brenda had come, minus her husband. Several members of the FBI had joined them. Of course there were also the combined teams of Major Crimes and FID.

Andy reached down and squeezed her hand, looking up at the board as the pictures of the young girls that they had seen a thousand times were shown - the smiling pose with family, the human images that made them more than just cattle. Willie Rae and Clay, much to their daughter's distress, had decided to stay until things calmed down. They were worried about their daughter, and didn't want to leave her alone in an empty house.

"Amen."

The service ended, and people were encouraged to leave messages in a memorial book that would be added to the large stone angel in the courtyard of UCLA once Hanson was caught. Andy went to talk to some of the families, but Sharon stayed behind. There wasn't anyone there to represent Samantha, the girl whose body had been disturbed. Her brother had died of Cancer at the end of the previous week, the only family she had ever had. She walked across and went to see Chief Johnson.

"Hey Chief. Agent Howard still not back?"

Brenda shook her head. "He's working on the Broker case, apparently he's just disappeared and they need to find him. He told me he'll be back by the end of the next week at the latest. I'm sorry; I didn't want to put any pressure on you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well he's your ex husband."

Sharon's eyes went wide as she looked at Brenda. "How did you find that out?" she hissed.

"Your file, when you were in your coma. I'm sorry Captain. Listen we've had our problems but I want to put them behind us, permanently. We can not like each other all we want, but for these girls we need to be a united front."

Sharon took the offered hand and shook it. As Taylor came up to talk to Brenda, Sharon went walking. Tommy was at the memorial book, and Will was looking at his son sadly. Sharon reached down and held his hand. He smiled.

"You okay?"

"Yeah I am." He put an arm around her shoulder. "You look nice, by the way."

Sharon blushed, realising it was the same black dress he had seen several times before. Their first date, the LAPD ball, their dinner date this month… She didn't own a lot of funeral material, and uniforms had been requested not to be worn. She tucked her head under Will's arm, looking for a little comfort. Brody nodded to Will as he walked past, faint bruises still on his face. Sharon felt Will stiffen behind her, and she wanted to ask him what was wrong but a couple of the family members, the new ones, came and offered their thanks for finding their daughters.

"Fritz has gone after Broker, that's why he's not here," Sharon mentioned, and Will held her even tighter.

"Not that you'd know it - Brenda has a new knight in shining armour." They watched as Flynn hovered around Brenda's elbow until they walked to talk to some family together.

Sharon kissed Will on the cheek. "I'm going to go to one of the graves. They don't have any family here, they should be remembered."

Will let her go off and watched her as she walked through several rows of headstones until she found the one she wanted. The stone had been a little weathered with time, and unlike the other ones surrounding Samantha's grave, there were no flowers on it. Samantha had been the eighth victim of the UCLA killer, murdered in the labs. Her mother had had a heart attack on finding out that her daughter was dead, but she was buried back in flagstaff, where her brother was buried. Twins ran in their family, and with Samantha's brother dead and gone there was nothing left.

She left a rose on the graveside as she had done for many years. Just as she was getting up, her back killing her from being pregnant, her phone started to ring. She didn't recognise the number, but only a select few had her new one anyway.

"Hello?" There was no noise on the other end of the line, just silence. "Hello?"

_"Forgotten me so quickly, little Sharon Elizabeth Raydor? I'm hurt."_

Her hand gripped the phone tightly, her breathing uneven. This couldn't be happening. "Eddie Hanson. Been a long time, what are you up to these days? Killed anymore girls we should know about?"

_"None, I'm afraid. After you found my little garden, I thought it best to cool down, take stock. I have, and I have decided that it's time to take my game to a new level."_

"Game?"

_"Game. I like art, but I like board games better. Like mouse trap, building up the pieces until you catch the mouse _right _where you want them. It's beautiful, and I've been working on it for such a long time. I didn't think it would be this long, but when I met you back in '98 I realised you and honourable Andy James weren't exactly ready for me."_

"We brought you in, you son of a bitch."

_"And let me go. But you're ready now, oh so ready to be caught. You know when I first met you back in '97; I was amazed by the two of you. So different from other police officers - you believed in what you were doing, believed in justice. I was already killing by that point, little Bella and Salma and Quinn and all the others. But after I met the two of you, I _fantasised _about you catching me, about you discovering my little garden. About me beating you to a bloody pulp while lover boy watched."_

Sharon's hand tightened on the gravestone. She looked around, walking to the end of the row, trying to see if she could see anyone making a call. Such was the unfortunate staple of mobile phones - you could call from anywhere. "You're a sick, twisted piece of work Hanson. I'm surprised you're talking to me, you weren't so talkative about murder the last time we spoke."

_"Things change; people grow up and stop trying to hide who they are. I am so pleased with how you and Andy have grown up in these few years, how you've changed. Honourable Andy James, with giving up drinking and trying hard to win every case. He's never been lucky in love, poor boy, but with the Chief I think he has a shot. He obviously loves her, so cute. Pity her hubby is, well, alive. Many of my friends in this line of work like her sort - polished, professional, a blonde southern dame, but not me. I like them New Yorker style, cheap and dirty."_

Sharon stood transfixed like she had all those years ago, listening to his voice. She felt a tear slip down her cheek.

_"And you! Well you have grown up to be quite the little woman, haven't you? Dating the future Chief of police no less, taking care of his bastard kiddies. And a _Captain _too - very impressive. I tried to work out ways that we could all come together, our perfect little family again, but you working in FID put a dampener on that. Thank God you retired, Sharon. Gave me the best chance to manipulate you, like I did the first time."_

Across the cemetery, Sharon looked to see if she could catch anyone's eye. She could see Flynn and waved her hand at him. He started to come over.

_"Better hurry things along, now you've called Andy over. I was right about you, that you get off on it. Get off on what Jimmy did to you, and even your current lover is handy with his fists, have you seen his opponents face? Very good work. I would love to see him hit you. Of course I doubt he would, Boy Scout that he is. I had great fun meeting you the other week, especially discovering that you are with child. Is it Boy Scout's or Boy Rapist's? Whose ever it is, little Sharon Elizabeth, I can't wait to meet your girl."_

The dial tone echoed in Sharon's ear. She threw up on the ground, her heart beating wildly. As Flynn rushed to her side, she turned back and saw that there was a second white rose lingering on Samantha's grave.

X

She was sitting, wrapped up in Flynn's suit jacket and nursing a cup of weak tea. The team had been sent home for the rest of the day, just to get some sleep. The only people in Brenda's office were Flynn, Sharon, Brenda and Will. Taylor entered, joined by Mitchell. They looked to Sharon, who was a wreck.

"What happened, Captain? What did Hanson say to you?" The only thing that Flynn had managed to get out of her before she had shut down was that Hanson had called her.

She gulped, taking another sip of her tea. She looked at Will's face, and began to cry. Flynn held her tighter, feeling the half moon marks in his hand leak blood.

"Hanson called, he said that he wasn't killing girls anymore, he was going back to the game. We were the game. He's been manipulating us all along, interested in how we'd catch him, when we would. He said we weren't ready twelve years ago, but we are now."

Things had taken a drastic turn for the worse and Brenda wondered what she could do now. If she took Sharon and Andy off the case, which she had every right to do considering their lives were at risk, more deaths might be caused. The same could be said either way, if they continued on their case and didn't find him soon. Will's hands were shaking, and that was enough to cause Brenda concern - she had already seen Brody's face, had seen Will's cracked knuckles.

"Did he mention anything else, Captain, did he confess to killing the girls?"

"He said he killed the six we found in his house, and he saw me the other Wednesday, presumably when he was murdering Jennifer Buckingham." Sharon took a deep breath, realising she would have to get it over and done with. "He said he was pleased that Andy had stopped drinking, he called you 'honourable Andy James'. He also mentioned how amused he was that you'd fallen in love with a married woman. He also mentioned about your husband being in the 'way', and that it would be better for Andy if he was dead."

Mitchell placed Brenda down on a chair, not wanting her legs to go out from under her. He turned to Taylor. "Okay, I need you to find Agent Howard and tell him what's going on. Then I want protection for all four of you, that's including you Will, I'm sure he said some things about you."

Will knelt down and took Sharon's hands. He smiled and she cried even harder. "He said he was happy that I was with you, and he mentioned that you'd smacked Brody, and that I must like being hit." Will didn't know what to say, he wanted to take his hands away from her, never touch her again, but Sharon clung on even tighter. Her teeth were stumbling over her lip, she wasn't done.

"Captain?"

Sharon turned to Andy and he nodded. He realised what Hanson must know. "He also threatened my daughter."

"Daughter?" Brenda looked at Sharon confused. Will looked up at her, not sure what she was saying.

Sharon closed her eyes tight, wishing it was all a dream. This wasn't how she wanted to tell Will. "I'm pregnant. I'm five and a half months gone; she was conceived during Valentine's Day weekend."

Her hands started to shake, and Will wasn't saying anything. Just then, his secretary came in saying he was needed urgently by the mayor. Will kissed Sharon on the forehead, still not saying anything and just left the room. Brenda looked at the two of them and realised why they had rushed to the hospital the previous Wednesday.

"For what it's worth, Captain, I apologise for being so harsh on you last week. Who else knows?"

"Well you all now, and Otto knows, and your parents, and a couple of people in London. And Eddie Hanson, apparently."

"My parents know?"

Flynn gave Brenda a look before comforting Sharon again. They had finally felt like they had the upper hand with Hanson, and now he had dragged that away from them. He avoided Brenda's eyes as she took in what he had said about them. Mitchell ordered the protection on all four of them, and left Sharon to be comforted by Andy, putting a hand on her stomach.

X

Brenda was staring out of her window, wondering what she could do with her evening. Going home was an option, but she didn't like the idea of her parents coddling her, or the fact that they had not told her about Sharon being pregnant. She had never had a sister, only three brothers and now the thought of sharing her parents with another female wasn't good. Still, if it brought everyone closer together it could only be a good thing.

"Hey Chief," Andy said, coming into the office. He looked tired, but still handsome. She moved over and rested her arms around him, wanting to feel some comfort from him. He held her close, toying with the back of her ponytail. He pressed his lips gently to her temple. "Want to get some dinner?"

"Yes, I really would."

She found her coat as the air would be cold now that the sun had set. Flynn put an arm around her as they walked out of new LAPD headquarters, keeping her close. As they walked, Brenda felt the impression that they could be any two people in the world, two people who cared for each other and liked the others company. They went to a small restaurant that was well known for its steak.

"Why are we here? You're vegetarian," Brenda wondered.

Flynn smiled, asking for a glass of merlot and a soda. "Its two blocks from Parker Centre - during the last UCLA Killer case we ate here all the time. I thought it would be appropriate."

He raised his soda can and Brenda clinked it with her glass. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings."

They ate, enjoying the presence of the other. Brenda was slightly restricted about drinking with Flynn; she always tried to curb her drinking when she was around Fritz. However, Flynn topped up her glass twice and made sure they always had bread rolls on the table as he and Brenda kept fighting over them. When it came to desert, Brenda ordered the death by chocolate that was meant for two people to share. Flynn ordered a cheesecake and managed to sneak a few bits of Brenda's dessert until she nearly stabbed him with her fork.

As Flynn settled the bill he turned to her. "What do you want to do now? I feel like going out and doing something…I don't want the evening to end quite yet."

"I don't mind what we do Flynn, I just want it to be loud." She wanted to forget the past couple of weeks; she wanted to just enjoy herself for the first time in months.

"I know just the place."

They drove over to a small bar in an area of Los Angeles that Brenda didn't even know about. It was a jazz bar that worked atop a roof, and Flynn flashed a card in his wallet to get in without paying the doorman. They went up and enjoyed the music with a perfect view of the ocean.

"It's a non alcoholic bar, its run by friend of mine. AA members get in free. Sorry you won't get your merlot."

"It's okay, Andy, I can live without it."

They danced for a while, with Flynn's hand resting on the curve of her hip as he dipped and twirled her around the dance floor. He had never seen the Chief look so alive before, even at her wedding she looked sad. She could say the same about him; he cut a particularly striking figure on the floor, and had his eyes on her the entire night even though there were several women in the place who would happily take him from her side.

"Thank you for this Andy, I really needed this."

"You're welcome; you're not the only one who has needed a break."

On the dance floor they kissed once, lips pressing just for a mere second. Andy went to buy them more drinks, but returned immediately to her side, whispering how happy she looked in her ear. They continued to dance, lost in the other, oblivious to anyone or any thought that might burst their happy bubble. They did not notice the man to the side, watching them with a smile.

X

She had been persuaded by Flynn that she needed to go to Will. After sitting in their new flat, all her old things looking out of place she felt her baby girl kick. She wanted to see her potential Daddy, and Sharon figured she needed to go see Will sooner rather than later if they had to continue on with the case. If they had any future at all.

Taking a cab instead of her newly recovered bike, Sharon went over to the Pope's. She trembled as she waited on his doorstep, worried about what he would say to her. Would he want the baby? Would he even want her? Would he be mad that she hadn't said anything? That seemed the most likely outcome, like Flynn had been. But he had got over it pretty quickly, had even bought the wood to start building her crib.

The door opened, and Will was standing there. Shirt loose, worried expression. His hands were bloodied.

"Oh god, Will, what happened?" Sharon pushed her way through his door, worried about what had happened to him. She made him sit down in one of his armchairs, and then went to get a cloth and cold water. She cleaned his wounds, taking care when he hissed in pain. There was a hole in the wall, obviously he was angry over something and had taken it out on the plasterboard.

"Don't Sharon - you shouldn't be here."

She laughed softly, seeing the fear in his face. Sharon clutched at his hands with her own, stroking over the grazes on his skin. "You think you scare me? We all get angry sometimes, and things have been building up for a while." She nuzzled his hands. "You think I am afraid of these hands? They're built for a different purpose."

Sharon moved Will's hands on top of her shoulder and then let them linger down her breasts, enjoying how they felt on her. Hanson was wrong - Will would never lay a finger on her. He could never hurt her; they were two halves of the same whole. She rested their heads together and leant in, pushing her tongue into his mouth. She wanted to get dizzy from his touch, wanted to ache from his fingers and what he could do to her.

Eventually, Sharon pulled away, her lips gloriously swollen. Her eyes looked into his, wanting to know his thoughts, his feelings. Will stroked her face.

"You look beautiful, you really do." She smiled at him, enjoying the smile lingering on his face. "So we're having a baby girl, huh?"

Sharon looked at him puzzled for a moment. "Sorry, I'm having trouble with my pronouns. Did you just say 'we'?"

Will kissed her on the cheek. "I hope it's a 'we'. I want it to be a 'we'. Is it?"

She kissed him again, her tongue delving into his mouth. She took one of his hands and moved it down to her stomach, where he laughed as he felt his daughter move against her skin. "Will, it could be Jimmy's, there's a chance…"

He shook his head. "She's mine. Jimmy took you from me, and you came back to me. I won't let him have her. She's ours."

They kissed again, Sharon's mouth moving insistently against Will's. He groaned as he felt her touch, enjoying the sensations she was giving him. She moved up onto his body, straddling him and this time she did not pull away. He gripped at her like she was a life raft, holding on for dear life. They eventually broke apart, their eyes wide with lust and excitement.

"Take me to bed."

She put her arms around his neck and he lifted her up, pulling her into his arms. They kissed like that, lips lingering on each other before they grinned. He carried her up the stairs, step by step until they got to his bedroom door. He kicked it open, like he had on many a wedding night when he had carried his wife over the threshold. It was the start of a new beginning, a new life and a new family for both of them.

Will laid Sharon down on the bed, and she fingered the hem of his shirt. "Off."

She laid on his pillows, his legs straddling her lower body. His hands moved up and pulled his white shirt off of his chest. She reached up and touched his torso, remembering the scar on his shoulder, the hair that lingered on his chest. She nuzzled against him, a hundred different memories assaulting her as she remembered his skin. She licked his neck, and he groaned.

Moving backwards, she moved the hem of her dress up a few inches. He chuckled at the sight of her, and eventually she just decided to rip it off, like a plaster. She pulled the dress over her head, dropping it down to the floor next to her. Will's eyes roamed over her, and she didn't feel exposed, she felt wanted, desired. His hands toyed with the straps of her brassiere, and he reached around her back to unclasp the garment. That joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

Holding her close, he traced the scars on her back, kissing her shoulder. She was shivering, his touch felt so good. She fumbled with his belt, and together they pulled it off. Will kicked his trousers off, leaving them in just their underwear. His hands moved down her side before tracing over the scars on her stomach.

"I have never seen anything more beautiful."

"Liar." Sharon giggled, her hands moving down his stomach to rest at the band of his boxers. She could see his erection through the underwear. "But I appreciate the thought."

He kissed her again, tongue probing, her groans forcing her on. Her hand moved inside his boxers, squeezing at his cock. He groaned, loving the feel of her hand on his skin. Smiling, she went bolder and started moving her hand up and down his shaft. Eventually he pulled down his underwear, dropping them onto the side of the bed. She was in control, and moved her hand over his cock and then around to his arse, fingers gripping at the cheeks.

"You really want to do this? Because we can stop, I…"

"Do you want this Will?" Sharon asked, and he nodded, grinning wildly. "I want you, Pope. Never wanted anything more."

His fingers moved under the underwear she was wearing and pulled them away from her skin. She was wet, she wanted, _needed, _his touch. His fingers danced over her thighs, moving down onto the inner skin. She took his hand and gently moved his fingers there, rubbing against her clit, finding out just how wet she was. Will moved down the bed to go down on her, but Sharon cupped his face and shook her head.

"There'll be plenty of time for that. I want you inside me."

They joined hands, and Will steeled himself before pushing inside her. She wrapped her legs around him, pushing him deeper inside. She cried out at the sensation, remembering how he felt, the speed he went at, how he whispered in her ear. He gripped her hips, and started thrusting into her slowly, building as the heels of her feet forced him forward. She started to moan his name, crying out for him. He kissed her lips, moved over to suck on her neck. A thin sheen of sweat was growing over them; they were desperate to be with the other.

She came first, white heat pounding over her, her senses dizzy as she called his name. Will joined her next, his own words pale in meaning as he was overcome by pleasure. He rolled off of her, lying in the bed next to her in pure ecstasy. Sharon laughed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too."

X

Brenda had left her keys back at the office, so Andy drove her back there. They both felt so alive after their night out, and Andy was wondering whether or not they could call it a date. As they laughed and joked into the Major Crimes office, they saw that several of the personnel who should have been at home were in fact working, namely Claudia, Simon, Provenza and Gabriel.

"We're just working on a few things, wrapping up some pieces. When we get another girl, we want to be ready."

She nodded at Gabriel as the two moved into her office, looking at the other with private smiles. Simon looked at Claudia who shook her head. "Nothing good can come of that."

Inside, they were searching for Brenda's keys, cheering when she found them. Andy moved forward and kissed Brenda on the lips, enjoying her surprise. She moved forward, pressing her tongue against him. His arms wrapped around her and she groaned. He broke the kiss and smiled at her. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Well thank you Lieutenant," Brenda smiled, searching in her desk for a ding dong. She had finished the death by chocolate and was now searching for another fix. Andy sat on her desk, grinning.

"So…what do you want to do now? We could go back to mine; I can give you the full tour."

Brenda bit her lip, resting her hand on Andy's. She didn't know what to say, and by the silence she was giving him, he understood her thoughts all too well. He moved from the desk and looked out of her window, arms crossed. She knew she was in the wrong, had been leading him on but damn it she enjoyed being with him, he made her laugh, he made her feel like she was normal. She wasn't abnormal for liking to work on cases; she wasn't different for spending time in morgues and crime scenes rather than functions and dinners with friends. She was just his.

"It's okay, I get it. You still love Fritz. I just thought…I guess I thought that tonight we had a good time and that you may want to be with me. Stupid. I'm an idiot."

"Flynn."

He turned to her, upset. "I have feelings for you, strong feelings that I cannot control. Obviously it's not going to work, me being here, being here with you. Not when you can't see that you don't love your husband and that you want to be with me."

"Flynn, please."

He pushed away from the window and turned towards the door, his face embedded in fury. Brenda felt like crying, she had never meant to hurt Flynn. She had feelings for him too, but she couldn't blow out her marriage on just that. There was a part of her that, despite all their problems, still loved Fritz.

"I'm going to make this easy on us both, Chief. Once this case is over, I'm transferring to FID. You won't have to see me anymore, and you can just go on like whatever this was never happened. It'll be better for both of us."

He didn't give her time to respond, just walked out the door, slamming it behind him. Brenda sat at her desk and unpeeled the ding dong from its wrapper. She had to make a choice in that moment, or she was going to lose Flynn as a friend and as whatever she needed him to be forever. She could sit in her chair, call Fritz, ask how he was getting on. Or she could run after him, tell him she had feelings for him too and they could explore that. If she was wrong she would have to deal with the consequences. Life was nothing if you didn't live it.

Moving to the door, she flung it open to see Flynn kissing a woman. She was tall, thin and blonde, with beautiful features. She stood there shocked, wondering how things could have happened so quickly. A suitcase was by her feet, and her arms were wrapped around Flynn. Provenza was looking impressed and in fact so was everyone else. When they broke apart, the girl rested her head on Flynn's shoulder.

"Hello," Brenda greeted, her face falling as she saw the woman.

"Chief, this is Lana, my girlfriend from New Jersey. She's decided to come out here to LA so we can make things work."

Lana, dressed in skinny jeans and what appeared to be a shirt of Flynn's, shook Brenda's hand. Flynn kept his eyes to the floor, Provenza watched the scene with relish and Claudia just started banging her head against the table. This was not going to end well.

X

Morning came, and Tommy took his brother and sister home. Flynn had called the night before, saying that Sharon was going to pop over, so they had gone to the Johnson's for a sleepover. Up in the bedroom, Sharon stirred in Will's arms, aching all over in a good way. He kissed her shoulder and left her under the covers, needing to get breakfast started for the kids.

Downstairs, Tommy brought in what had been left on the doorstep and grinned as Sharon joined them at the breakfast table. The two younger Pope's were full of excitement, telling them what the Johnson house was like. Tommy put down the paper and looked at the post that had been left. Sharon's eyes immediately turned to his hand as Tommy placed the white rose down on the table.

Taking the envelope from Tommy, she opened it up. Three pictures were inside. A photo of Andy and the Chief kissing at some bar. A photo of her and Will making love the night before. A scan of her baby.

Sharon dropped the pictures and immediately reached for Will, her stomach churning. It had begun.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

_LA Times Online, 23__rd__ August 2010 _

_From Reporter Jack Mason's Blog: _

_It has been over a month since the life of student Jennifer Buckingham was tragically ended at the hands of the 'UCLA Killer'. Since then, he has claimed no other victims. The LAPD's Major Crimes Unit are still said to be looking into the case, but without any new evidence it seems that it is once again destined to go cold. It is not the opinion of this reporter that more dead girls should pile up to catch the man, but more over that once again the man who has ripped so many lives apart slinks back into the shadows. _

_The FBI has added former person of interest Edward Hanson, to the FBI's most wanted list, but that seems to be a futile gesture. He has a name, and a face but that is not enough for the lamenting families of the victims that he left behind. Eighteen girls, celebrated and mourned in the memorial ceremony many weeks ago, still have not got the justice their sacrifice requires. _

_As more information trickles in concerning this case, you can find out the status of the UCLA Killer at our website or follow us on twitter. If you have any information regarding Edward Hanson or the UCLA Killer, we at the LA Times urge you to contact your nearest police station or FBI branch. _

_LA Times, 23__rd__ August 2010 [page 10]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews takes us through what is happening this week:_

_Things had cooled on the Chief front, with the UCLA Killer taking front and centre in all press conferences and chatter from the LAPD. However, after a month of no new information and officers being seconded back to their original departments, the eye is now fixed on who will take over as Chief of Police. _

_The memorial service for the victims was an ideal time to see how the five candidates for Chief would react in the public eye. Julian Brody offered condolences to the family and tried to hide the bruising covering his face - perhaps the fight for Chief has started to get violent? Tommy Delk also gave condolences to the family, but mostly stayed with the Mayor as he prayed for the victims. Peter Drake was more concerned with the press than with the parents. Jennifer Pearce stood up and gave a speech to the students of UCLA that had turned up to mourn their classmates, expressing her desire for safety among the student body and about the need for people to work together despite gender, race and sexuality. _

_Will Pope, the strongest contender for the Chief of Police position despite the lack of closure to the UCLA Killer case, talked to the mayor and other dignitaries but mostly watched over his son, a hopeful freshman for the new term at UCLA. He talked to the families, offered them condolences and wishes of hope. Controversially, he also spent some time being intimate with formerly retired FID Captain, Sharon Raydor. _

_With just over a week until the mayor makes his decision and a few days until the last round of interviews, every little part counts. Soon the LAPD and indeed Los Angeles will enter a new chapter, hopefully for the better. _

_Asheville Citizen Times, 23__rd__ August 2010, [page 1]_

_The staff at this paper are heartbroken to announce the death of Alexander Armstrong, twelve year old son to Amelia and Jackson Armstrong. He was found late on Saturday night, after being missing for a month after his parents' death. We hope the Armstrong's are now in heaven, together in peace. _

X

Sharon Raydor woke up, her back aching, her head hurting and her stomach craving some of Flynn's pancakes. She looked at her clock and realised she had to get out of bed or she was going to be late for work. The electricity must have gone out during the night, and her alarm clock wasn't working. Thank god for the arguing couple next door or it was likely she never would have woken.

Outside her room in the main area of the condo, she groaned as Lana's argument with Flynn got louder, once again about the women in his life. She was upset that their perfect happy ever after was being clouded by his pregnant friend who rented half the place with him, and his overbearing boss who called him out at all hours to go check leads.

"Your Uncle Andy is in so much trouble," Sharon muttered to her stomach, checking the refrigerator for orange juice.

As she looked to the bedrooms where Lana was still yelling at Flynn, Sharon saw that the front door was ajar. She put the juice down and went back into her room where she kept her gun on her bedside table. She'd been keeping it there for a while now, ever since the photos had been delivered to Will's house. Putting the safety off and the gun by her hip, Sharon walked out slowly through the door, looking around to see what was going on.

The corridor was empty, and as she turned back to the door she noticed a single pink rose laying on the floor to the left. She started to shake, and when she heard a noise behind her she spun on her foot and pointed a gun directly at the person standing there.

The bouquet of roses dropped to the floor, and Will Pope raised his hands above his head. "Don't shoot, I only come bearing flowers."

She sighed, realising there was no threat. Putting the safety back on her gun, Sharon turned and buried her head into Will's shoulder. He held her close, kissing her temple. "I am so sorry, I just…I keep freaking out about everything. Every open window, every open door. Every time I see a flower."

He wrapped his arms tighter around her, and she started to well up a little. "Those ones look pretty though."

Will grinned. "I just wanted to bring you something to cheer you up. And also join you for breakfast, Tommy has taken the kids swimming for the day, I don't think he knows what he's let himself in for."

Sharon laughed as they went inside. The place was finally put together with all her and Flynn's stuff that they had put into storage when they had left Los Angeles. Some things had been thrown away or donated, but the poignant bits they kept. In the corner, where there wasn't a television or a battered sofa was Flynn's wood work. He had started to make a cradle.

"If Hanson isn't caught soon enough, she'll have to sleep in a box," Sharon chuckled - the cradle was only half made as Flynn was torn between hunting down Hanson and keeping Lana happy. Will smiled as he got a glass and poured some juice for himself. Hearing the argument in the bedroom, he frowned.

"Offer still stands, babe. You can come and live with us, all of us together. I hate knowing you're out here: Flynn's distracted with Lana and there is a psycho that wants to hurt you. I know you hate the whole male protection thing but you're part of my family, and I take care of my family."

As he spoke, Lana forced Flynn's bedroom door open and walked to the bathroom. Will stared at her lithe form and long legs until Sharon bashed him over the head with a newspaper. "Eyes back in your head, please, Pope." She shook her head at him, mock frowning. "It's how it all starts, the woman gets pregnant and the father is suddenly chasing every bit of flat stomached tail."

Will reached over the breakfast bar and kissed Sharon on the lips, causing her eyes to light up. "There is no other woman in the world for me." They could hear Lana screaming in the bathroom. "Plus I don't like my women that insane."

The bedroom door opened again, and Flynn nodded to Will as he moved over to the bathroom, opening the door so he could apologise for whatever his girlfriend was upset about. Sharon sighed and kissed Will again, enjoying seeing him smile. "To be honest, right now I wouldn't mind getting out of here. They are always arguing and she's always wondering _very loudly_ why I am not living with you if I'm pregnant."

"With my child." Will smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes "You always miss that bit out. Why do you do it?"

Sharon slid down from the stool and went to find the cereal box and a bowl for breakfast. She didn't answer Will's question, but knew it was going to come back and bite her if she didn't. She could feel his gaze and turned around to him. She kissed him on the cheek, resting her hands on his legs.

"I love you Will, and I know what a good man you are. I just don't want us to do this and then she's born and she's really not yours and you leave. I don't want you to get hurt, because there is a _huge_ chance that she's Jimmy's."

Will nodded. "I understand, babe, I do." He didn't say anything else, just started searching around for some bread he could put in the toaster. Sharon nodded and watched him for a moment before she went in search of her own breakfast.

Sharon was pouring her cereal into a bowl when she felt a pressure on her hand. She let herself go and be twirled straight into Will's arms. He cupped her face and kissed her gently on the lips. As their lips overlapped softly, languidly, Sharon's arms went around Will's neck. He smiled.

"I love you. I love _her_. And whatever comes our way, it'll be okay. So stop worrying, stop trying to push me away because you think I'll leave anyway." Will rested his forehead on hers and held her hands within his own. "I want you, Sharon. Forever."

As they kissed again, smiling, their peace was shattered by shouting from the bathroom. Sharon started to grumble and Will held her close, kissing the top of her head. It would be okay, everything would be okay. They had come through much worse.

X

"I just don't see why you can't tell them you can't go into work today."

Flynn sighed, sitting on a toilet seat in boxers and an LAPD shirt, staring as his girlfriend flossed and chewed him out at the same time. He was too old to have to deal with this. For the first hour or so after Lana had arrived it had been great. Everyone had been impressed with her, Provenza made numerous hand gestures and Brenda Leigh Johnson looked like she was going to be sick. He didn't like to see any harm come to her, and hated to know that he had hurt her, but he was tired of being pulled close to only be pushed away again.

"We have a case Lana, it may be getting cold but it's still active." Flynn stood up from his spot and banged his head against the wall. When he had brought her back to the new condo it had been good, pleasant, nice. The sex had been great, even though he imagined that she was a little older, a little softer, and she answered to Brenda. He knew he was in trouble from there on in, and it had gone sharply downhill. She didn't like Sharon staying with them, as she occupied Flynn's time with talk of the case and baseball. She hadn't liked him spending all his time at work instead of helping her set up her own business, mostly because she didn't like the pretty southern blonde that was his boss.

He knew he should end it. But he felt guilty that she had sold her salon and her place and had moved to be with him and he hadn't wanted her anymore. It was becoming drastic and the only decent thing was the sex, which he was reluctant to stop - knowing that Lana would become suspicious if he did. She liked giving oral sex rather than receiving, which gave Flynn an excellent chance to picture someone else. He was completely and wholly in love with Brenda Leigh Johnson. He admitted it now, and even though he hated himself it wouldn't change his feelings.

Lana sighed, turning to him with her soft eyes. "Listen, I just need to find a job so I'm not stuck here all day, and then everything will be okay. I'm sorry for snapping, baby, I really am."

Flynn moved over and gave Lana a squeeze. "It's okay hon, we just need to give each other a little space. I'll call a few people, talk to Simon who seems to know everyone in this city, see if I can't help you out." He smiled and kissed her on the lips. When she wasn't screaming at him, he remembered why they had started dating in the first place. "It's going to be okay."

"You bet it is!"

Lana kissed him, finally happy. Smirking, she dug around in his boxers and pulled them down. As she went down on her knees, Flynn kept his thoughts measured, and on Lana instead of the smiling, chocolate eating blonde he was in love with.

He was in so much trouble.

X

Across the city, another couple were arguing, and another half of that couple was dealing with feelings for someone else. When Fritz Howard awoke that morning, he was upset to find that his wife was not in their bed. Pulling on a shirt, he tried to see where she was. She wasn't in the kitchen, that was empty. No one was in the bathroom, and she hadn't fallen asleep in front of the television. He looked out the window onto the drive, seeing the quietness of their street and smiled.

It was nice not to see an RV out front, as the Johnson's and Charlie had headed across the US for a two week trip. Some of the team had given them suggestions and people who would give them free food and petrol, so they were off on an adventure. Apparently they would be back in a few days, after Charlie had accidentally eaten frog and spent the entire night crying.

"Brenda?" Fritz called out. Now they had the place to themselves and he was back from New York he thought they could finally get back to working on their marriage. Go to therapy, talk. Make love. The case was practically over, everyone had been sent back to their original departments and they were being sent other cases.

"I'm in here."

Of course, just because the case was technically over did not mean that Brenda considered it so. Their spare room had been once again converted into a murder room. Pictures and photos of all the girls were up on the board, crime scene shots and medical test results covered the walls instead of wallpaper. The only thing that wasn't on the board was the picture that Hanson had taken of Flynn and Brenda kissing - those photographs had been sealed as evidence, only to be used in case they didn't get anything else on him.

"Honey, what are you doing in here? Did you even come to bed?" As he looked at the rumpled sheets behind him, he had his answer. "Brenda, this is insane."

"It's not insane. Eddie Hanson is insane, doing all this."

Fritz shook his head, unsure of what he could say. Brenda had refused to go see their therapist until the case would be closed, and looking at the board it seemed like it never would be. At least he would have a lot to discuss, his sessions were becoming longer and longer. "Honey, this isn't your case. Its Flynn's and Raydor's case. Twelve years on they're still obsessed by it. And what do they have to show for it, huh?"

Brenda shook her head and moved from her spot as soon as Fritz turned to touch her. "Well Flynn is dating some Texan hairdresser and Will and Sharon are having a baby."

Fritz stilled, trying to comprehend the information Brenda had just told him. "Pope's having _another _kid? At his age, with both their positions?" She knew what was coming, didn't even have to guess. Same old argument, same old tired resolution. "We could have a child. You love when Charlie's here, you spent the summer practically with Pope and his kids. We could be a proper family."

"We _are _a proper family. I like things the way they are. They're simple, organised. I like it like that. I don't want to get pregnant, and I don't want a child, Fritz. Because one of us would have to give up our career and it would not be you."

Fritz smiled as an idea struck him. It would mean a sacrifice on his part, but would it really be such a sacrifice if he got what he wanted? His beautiful wife and a beautiful child? He knelt down by Brenda's feet. "If I left the FBI to take care of our child, would you consider it? Would you?"

Brenda didn't know what to say. Thankfully she was saved by the sound of her phone ringing. She rushed to answer it; thankfully they had a crime scene to deal with. "I better go, murder etc etc. See you later honey," Brenda said, kissing Fritz on the cheek as she rushed to their room to get changed. He just sat there, wondering when everything had changed between them and whether it would ever return to how it was.

X

The murder victim was a male. He was in his early thirties. He was found on the floor of a convenience store, and his business cards said he was one of the highest paid lawyers in the city. As the team gathered around, the disappointment on all of their faces was evident. They were all still hoping to catch the UCLA Killer, even if it meant losing a girl to do so.

"Chief, the coroner's assistant said he died in the last three hours or so," Gabriel announced to his boss who was standing in the candy department, looking at all the chocolate.

After her morning debacle with Fritz and the lack of sleep, she needed a pick me up. However her mind was on other things, and she couldn't seem to focus. Her skin itched, her head hurt. She wasn't eating properly, and she'd cut her finger the other day and she didn't remember how. She wasn't herself, she was…consumed.

"Okay, thank you Sergeant. Let's get statements, please tell Claudia and Simon to go check for security camera footage. I want Detective Sanchez and Lieutenant Williams to get me a warrant for his house and for his office, thank you!"

Once she had played her part, she could sink back into her shell. Brenda looked out onto the scene, seeing that everyone felt the same. Tao joined the coroner's assistant in looking over the body, resisting from touching the hair. On every dead girl they had had in the past month they had checked the hair, _hoping _that he was still active. Provenza would look on the body with pity, and now there was a sense of rage that they weren't getting closer as he pushed out of the door to talk to the owner.

"Hey, just got here. One look at Provenza's face told me all I needed to know, though," Flynn muttered as he joined her in the confectionary aisle. Things were still bad between them - their last argument had seemed to tear everything they had apart, they didn't even have their friendship anymore. But he missed her, missed just hearing her be friendly to him. He pulled out a dollar and handed it to her. "I think you're going to need it."

She took the money from him, smiling as she looked on all the chocolate and realised that Flynn was right. Brenda turned to the dead body. She felt bad for the victim, but she couldn't summon up the need, the desire to solve the case, she had something already more pressing in her mind. The UCLA Killer was making her sick, obsessed in a way that Stroh had not done. Although she had not admitted it, Stroh was outside her reach. Eddie Hanson was just within grasp.

Flynn said something to Gabriel about the blood splatter on the kitchen towels, before returning to Brenda's side. It was very rare that they were together anymore, by themselves. Lana took it upon herself to pick Flynn up every day from work, and whenever they were together she found it awkward, knowing that soon enough she would lose him completely. She still felt bad for not being faster at running after him. Who knew where they might be if she had done? Instead of it being Lana living with Sharon and Flynn, it could be her in Flynn's bed.

"Sharon's still at the station, she wants to go over the pharmacy records, even though we've checked them over three times. It's all gone cold," Flynn sighed, not wanting to admit it but knowing he had to.

Brenda clutched at her handbag viciously, pushing through the insides. She snarled before collapsing against the shelves. "We have some of the best detectives at the LAPD and we can't find one man. We know who he is, just not where he is."

Andy reached over and brushed his thumb over Brenda's hand. "Hanson has been planning this for twelve years. Sharon and I have gone over it a million times - Hanson isn't going to disappear on us, he's just biding his time. Waiting." He removed his hand, and both missed the contact instantly. It would never be the same, and Brenda cried for their friendship. Flynn frowned at her. "Be careful. Sharon's not living with the Pope's as she doesn't want to get them into any danger, Hanson wouldn't care about using what's most important to us to get us. So…be careful, please."

As Flynn went to have a look at the crime scene and the victim's wallet, Brenda sighed. He was right; Hanson was just biding his time. He wouldn't kill any more girls, not yet.

"How much blood did those towels soak up?"

Until he decided to come out and play, they had murders to solve.

X

Sharon was going over the files for the UCLA Killer case. She was pretty much the only one working on it full time, they didn't need so many people in Major Crimes, and they only had to wait a week and FID would be reinstated. Well, she hoped. She kept looking over the pharmacy reports, trying to find something that made sense. She heard a noise behind her and immediately went for her gun.

"It's only me, Captain, not Hanson."

She looked up to see Agent Howard taking a seat in front of her. He smiled, looking over the files that she was pouring over. The last time they had talked was when the FBI had tried to take over the case from them. Before that, most likely the time where she had Will had had an impromptu lunch and the Johnson family had joined them. "Sorry, I'm a bit jittery."

"Understandable, you're the only one here." He put down a bottle of water in front of her. "Here, you need to keep your fluids up. Congratulations, by the way, on the baby. Brenda told me."

Sharon smiled and immediately put a hand on her stomach. "Thank you, Agent Howard. I'm getting to show a little now; I'm actually through my second trimester so it's all good. I'm due for the middle of November; let's hope this is all over by then."

Fritz nodded, taking a sip of his own water. They had never really talked before, and without their partners as a buffer there wasn't anything to say. Sharon went back to her work, noticing that Agent Howard was staring at her with a most curious expression. He didn't really want to do this, but he felt it was his duty to. "You were married to Sam Broker, weren't you?"

"Yeah, for a couple of years. We've been divorced longer than I ever knew Sam, I can't be of any help to you Agent Howard," Sharon replied, looking down at her files again. There had to be something. She pulled over her laptop and checked her emails and Flynn's - his password was easier to crack than Simon's. Hopefully one of their contacts had news.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

She shook her head. "I saw him briefly this year while investigating the shooting involving my father. I haven't spoken to him since the night he made me miscarry our child." She looked him dead in the eye. "Sam made my life a living hell, he abused me, he…he's a psychopath. I know he helped in finding the guy who framed my father, but that doesn't excuse what he did. Life isn't cheques and balances."

Fritz agreed with her, some people like Broker worked for the community so they could get away with satisfying their murderous impulses in the clear. He had worked the case of Broker for years. There had never been enough dirt on the guy, but there was always something. He didn't want to disrupt her life anymore - as much as he may not know her he did respect her - but she needed to be aware of what was going on.

"Sam Broker's wife died over the summer. Murdered. No fibres as she was dumped into the harbour, but she was strangled." Sharon flinched. "Brenda may have told you I've been in New York trying to figure out why Broker was going there. We tailed him for a week, seeing where he went. He always went to the same place every day, your brother's business. He wants to know where you are."

Sharon looked at her feet, a tear slipping down her cheek. "And I guess with all the publicity over this case that he now knows exactly where I am."

Fritz nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, he's stayed in LA. Be careful, please. If you need an FBI detail, just ask. Broker is a dangerous man."

"You don't have to tell me, Agent Howard."

He was about to say something else when he caught sight of the photographs on Sharon's desk. As she turned around she realised that the originals that Hanson had sent them were in her case file box. She watched as Agent Howard's face fell. The photograph of his wife kissing Flynn fell back to the table.

"I'm sorry Agent Howard, you weren't meant to see that."

He looked at her, his face full of sorrow. He hadn't had a true answer from his wife, and he knew that if he asked he would not get one. "Be honest. Is she having an affair?"

Sharon didn't know what to say, she didn't want to get anyone in trouble but she could see the hurt in Agent Howard's features. She shook her head. "I don't know, I'm really sorry. They… Flynn has told me that despite whatever is going on, they haven't gone any further than what's in that picture. He told me that although he may have wanted to take things further, she didn't. She loves you. I know that doesn't make it better, but…"

Her speech was interrupted as the members of Major Crimes trailed in, all looking dejected. Fritz buried the photographs under some of Sharon's files and looked Flynn dead in the eye as he walked in. He gave a nod to the Lieutenant before kissing his wife on the lips and talking to her quietly. Flynn came and sat by Sharon, who positioned herself further under the table. They still hadn't told everyone that she was pregnant, they were waiting for everything to calm down before that happened. If it ever did.

"No girl?" Sharon asked, but knowing already that it was a dead end.

"Dead lawyer. We're running his plates now," Flynn explained. He turned to his friend. "Any luck?"

"Nope…although, wait a minute." Her response had drawn attention from Gabriel and Tao and they came over to see what she had. "Just got an email from the Asheville PD. Amelia Hanson's son has been found."

"Alive?" Flynn asked, although he already knew the answer, and had done ever since the boy had gone missing.

Sharon winced, feeling her stomach churn upon reading the email. "No. He was skinned alive. Well we know who is responsible, Eddie Hanson getting his revenge on his wife for leaving him and having a child." She added everything up in her head. "That makes twenty one victims, with the Armstrong's included."

"What's going on?" Brenda came over from the board and the team explained what had happened to Alexander Armstrong.

As they all sighed, knowing that he had killed again and they were unable to stop it, Sharon was having a thought. She looked at the list of people who had prescriptions, and then back again at the email. She tried to think like Eddie Hanson, like playing a very large game of chess. You concentrate on pushing the knights forward, your queens, your bishops. All the while to the side your opponent does not notice the pawn creeping up until its already too late.

"Eddie Hanson does not get his prescriptions from Los Angeles. I will bet you a thousand dollars that he has a PO Box and a licence and a doctor's registration in the city that his ex wife lived in. He's been watching them, like he's been watching us. Waiting for revenge," Sharon explained, turning towards Major Crimes.

It was like a light switch had been turned on. The team suddenly had a new energy. They all gathered around Sharon's computer as she explained about the boy and about his parents. It was the perfect disguise - he knew that they would discover the drugs eventually, getting the medication in another state was the perfect way to hide his tracks for a little while longer.

Brenda looked over the screen, thinking back to Flynn's previous words. "He's given us the boy. He's waited a month; he's had the boy all this time. It's coming, isn't it? The big finale."

Sharon smiled sadly at the blonde. "He's set this up from the beginning; we're just playing catch up. I want to send Claudia and Simon to North Carolina, investigate everything there. He won't suspect us going there; he'll think we'll just get the files which will take too long."

"Do it. We're one step closer. Captain, I know it's a scary place but I need you and Flynn to get inside Hanson's mind. Figure out what he's going to do." Brenda looked at the board and at the case. "I'm not a big fan of chess, so I don't like to be forced to be played it. Let's push him into checkmate. That's a thing, right?"

Sharon smiled. "Yes ma'am, it is. We'll get him."

The team got back to work with a new energy towards their current case. They would find Hanson. They wouldn't leave another case unclosed.

X

Back at the convenience store, Claudia was up a ladder, trying to check if the security cameras had been disabled. Simon was at the bottom of the ladder when his phone rang, playing a Lady Gaga song. He chuckled while Claudia shook her head.

"I'm sorry, where do you want us to go?"

Claudia grew concerned, even more so when she came down the ladder and Simon was sitting on a bench, looking out onto the row of police vans and crime scene tape. She waved the video tape that the store owner had just given her in front of his face.

"Paging Detective Douche bag, what's up?"

He moved his elbows forward on his knees, looking at Claudia. She didn't like that look, it wasn't a very good look. "The kid, the one that was missing in North Carolina? Well they've found him, Hanson skinned him alive."

"Jeez, that man is one sick fuck."

Simon nodded and sighed. "The Captain thinks that Hanson is getting his prescriptions at North Carolina to throw us off. So you and me are heading to Asheville to check all the prescriptions of this wonder drug and find the name of this bastard."

Simon stood up, trying to find his keys. They would have to go back home, pack a quick bag and then head on the next flight out to the city. The quicker they found that name the better. Claudia gave the tape to one of the uniformed officers, informing him it needed to go straight to Major Crimes. As Claudia headed into the passenger seat of Simon's car, she turned to him.

"So, you're telling me that the Chief and the Captain are trusting _us _with this? Not Flynn and Provenza, not Gabriel and Tony. But us? This is the big feature of the case, Simon - if we find that name then we've got him."

Simon, who had been clear and calm before about going to North Carolina to hunt a serial killer, was now hyperventilating. Claudia pulled out the snacks they had bought from the very distressed shop keeper and gave the bag to him as he tried to breathe.

"We'll be fine. We go to the pharmacies, we get all the names and we cross reference them with the people who have access to UCLA. We'll get the Captain to send us some pictures so we can put faces to names. We're going to find this guy, _we are_. We can prove to Brody that we're not screw ups, that we're worthy of being in this department." She took the keys from him and moved him to the other side of the car. "And then we'll go back to FID and never have to deal with another serial killer again."

Putting the car into reverse, Claudia sped away from the store. Within a few hours they would be on their way to North Carolina, and on the way to solving the biggest case of their careers.

X

Will was in his office, once again trying to get through the mountain of paperwork on his desk. There was a knock on his door and his secretary let Sharon into his office. She was smiling like a crazy person, and once the door was closed immediately sat on his lap and kissed him.

"Something good happen?" He wasn't complaining, but they had tried to once again keep things professional. Not random make out sessions in the middle of the day.

Sharon smiled, before frowning again. "Oh yeah. And a couple of bad things. Which do you want to hear first?"

Will pulled Sharon further into his lap so she was resting her head against his shoulder, and his hand was stroking her thigh. He liked them like this, comfortable, relaxed. He wondered how long it would last. "Bad, get it out of the way."

"According to Fritz, Sam knows I'm in LA." Will's hands squeezed hers tighter. "But its okay, I knew that he would find me eventually. The more pressing issue is that Fritz also found the picture of Brenda and Flynn kissing."

Will groaned. "That's not good."

"No, it's not." Sharon sighed, wishing she could have come up with something better to tell Fritz when he asked. "Shall we tell them?"

Will shook his head. "They have this twisted love quadrangle going on and I think its best that we leave them to it. We've got enough to deal with. So what's this good news of which you speak?"

Sharon kissed Will on the nose. "Well unfortunately they found the twelve year old son of Hanson's ex wife, and he's dead. But we think he's been getting his drugs from up there, so I've sent Claudia and Simon to go get the name."

"That's great!" Will exclaimed, and Sharon smiled, brighter than she had in a long time. They were finally on their way to ending this case.

She fiddled with his collar, loosening his tie and stroking the crevice of his breastbone. He smiled, his hooded eyes watching her every movement. "I've also got a check up now, for the baby. I didn't mention it before, but do you want to come? It'll be…nice."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

He kissed her, and told his assistant that he was going with Sharon to a doctor's appointment. She just winked and smiled at the pair, happy to see them so in love. Will drove them to the doctors that Willie Rae had registered her with, and they waited for a while. They talked about when it would be a good idea to tell the kids, and their co workers. Sharon was resistant; Will wanted to tell everyone immediately. Eventually they got called in and Will held her hand as they checked her stomach and performed an ultrasound.

"Jeez that's cold," Sharon exclaimed, giggling as the ultrasound fluid went on her stomach. The couple watched on the screen as the technician showed the girl inside of her, five toes, five fingers, no obvious complications.

The doctor looked over her file as they oversaw their healthy baby girl. Sharon looked so bright, and Will's eyes were torn between his daughter on the screen and Sharon smiling. The doctor pressed her fingers gently on Sharon's arm, turning her away from the screen.

"I was looking over your file and noticed the additions your original doctor had made."

The doctor smiled weakly at Will before seeing how Sharon clung onto him. The Captain looked at Will and grinned, realising she would have to explain things quickly and quietly. The doctor was assuming that Will was the one who raped her. "This is Will, my boyfriend. He's not…he didn't. That was someone else."

"Oh, good." The doctor smiled, patting Sharon on the shoulder. "Well I just wanted to say that we can provide DNA testing for you if you'd like. It's not too late to consider adoption if the outcome is…not what you wanted. I believe that a child should be loved, and I know in cases of your _situation _that that's not always the case."

Sharon looked at Will, who squeezed her fingers. It was her decision. She looked at the picture on the monitor, felt the beat of her baby against her stomach. She gave a glance at Will, who just smiled at her. "We're okay, thank you. We don't need a piece of paper to let us know who her parents are."

Will pressed a kiss to her temple as they looked at their baby girl. She felt a chill run over her skin, but it was instantly warmed by the feel of Will's arms around her, protecting her.

X

Brenda was in her office looking out of her window. The case files that Raydor had been working on before she had gone for her doctor's appointment were still laid out on her desk. Fritz had offered to drive her home, but she had refused, saying she needed to work a little longer. They had managed to solve the man's murder already - one of his partners was not very good under pressure, and he had paid his price for his greed. So now they were back to where they were before, with nothing to distract them.

"Hey Chief, you okay?"

It was Flynn. It was always Flynn. She turned around, crying. She couldn't remember the last time she cried over a case, but here it was. Eighteen girls that she felt that she had failed, and she couldn't seem to do a damn about it. He reached over and took her hand, and she was grateful of the contact and that he didn't pull away.

"How did you do it, Andy? How did you keep coming to work after all this? I've dealt with serial killers before but I've always caught them, never let a monster like this get away."

He squeezed her hand tight. "Well I just got more cynical. Me and Sharon, we've only just repaired our relationship. It hurts, every day knowing that he's out here. But you have to put your trust in people who understand. That's why all my marriages failed; they just didn't get the job. Friends come in handy when you've got cases like this."

Brenda wiped her eyes dry and returned to looking out the window. "Fritz wants a child; I want to catch a killer. How could we be so different?" Flynn didn't say anything, just moved in closer to her. She leant her head against his chest. "I see them, Andy. Screaming in my dreams, I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I see them. Do you believe in ghosts?"

He hesitated for a moment before he whispered a word against her skin."Yes." He saw her eyes close. "Every case I've ever worked on and failed haunts me. Sometimes you break the chains, sometimes they drag along the back of you like shackles." He clutched her face tight, looking deep into her eyes. "Don't end up like me, Brenda. It's not worth it."

She shook her head in disbelief. "At this moment in time I can't think of anything I want to be more than you. Want to have more than you."

She forced her mouth on him, desperate to feel some acceptance. She was breaking apart like she had a mere few months before, and there was nothing anyone could do. Flynn was powerless to stop her; he wanted to lose himself too. Just move away from the pain and the disappointment and just concentrate on feeling alive and wanted.

Her jacket ended up on the floor, his hands scrapping down her arms, clinging onto her waist. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, desperate to bring him closer to her. She cried as she kissed him, not sure what she was doing or why. All she knew was that she felt numb like she never had before. He nibbled on her neck, the pads of his fingers digging into her arms. She could feel that. She could feel him and she wanted more.

Outside the office, Lana watched as Andy continued to ravish his boss, pushing her onto her desk. They didn't move further, just clung to each other. But it was enough for her. She stumbled down the hallway, bile rising in her throat. Andy was hers; he wasn't going to be taken from her. She wouldn't let it happen.

X

Sharon walked up the stairs to her new place, humming to herself. She had felt the happiest she had in ages, finally things were starting to settle down. Her and Will would be okay, she was having a healthy baby girl and they finally had a lead on Hanson after weeks of waiting. She would just have to wait for Hanson's reveal - it would come sooner rather than later.

She had brought Chinese take away home for her, Lana and Flynn and hoped the little princess didn't have any objections about that. As she got further down the hallway, she noticed that the front door to her place was open. Putting the food down on the floor, she looked around. There was no one there, but inside she heard a smash of glass. Immediately going for her gun she pulled it in front of her, prepared for anything. As she moved over the threshold, her shoe caught on something. She looked down, seeing what she had stepped on.

A single white rose.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_LA Edition Online, 24th August 2010_

_From internet blogger Alex Woodard: _

_The papers have stopped reporting about it, the only place you can currently see the words 'UCLA KILLER' is splashed across the net. In fact, it's the only place you can really talk about it - call the LAPD or the LA Times to see how they're trying to move forward with the case and all you'll get is a bunch of useless platitudes about how hard they are trying. _

_The LAPD have got no clue on who the UCLA killer is. They say they are actively looking for Eddie Hanson - but he's just a convenient scapegoat from the 1998 killings. There are no leads, no arrests, they are just bumbling along. Eighteen girls have died! All the LAPD care about right now is who will take over Chief - they're hoping whoever killed those girls stays away so they don't have to get off their asses and do something._

_Judging from what we've seen of the LAPD, then the new Chief, despite the LA Times attempts to say that it will change things, will do shit. The candidates for Chief are awful: hypocrites the lot of them. The worst one is the so called 'top' candidate Chief Pope. He's known for being a womaniser, a screw up and is currently dating his colleague slash girlfriend, Captain Sharon Raydor. Who, coincidentally, is working the UCLA Killer case with Pope's reported former fuck buddy, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. This blogger wonders if there is a woman in the LAPD who Pope _hasn't_ slept with? We'd be much better off keeping the Chief we have at the moment, at least he hasn't screwed everything up too badly. _

_It's just over a week until they announce who is Chief. Who cares? I'd rather hear about them taking a killer off the streets than about which rich white guy is going to be put in charge of the LAPD. The only new thing we've heard about the UCLA Killer case in the past month has been the twitter account 'HansonHacker' which posted 'confessions' of the murders. There are now four facebook groups set up on the topic: 'Catch the UCLA Killer' 'Forget Waldo, Where's Eddie Hanson?' 'Hanson Liberated' [a group of people trying to clear his name] and 'Arrest the Officers' [a group who believe that the killer is one of the officers investigating the case]. _

_Although the LAPD seems to have forgotten about the case, the internet hasn't. Come on LAPD, step up your game. Before you let _another _killer walk away._

X

She pointed the gun in front of her as she headed in, not sure what she would find. The place was ransacked, magazines scattered everywhere. Sharon made the decision then and there to never bring case files home with her, it was too dangerous. The door to Andy's bedroom was closed. Her bedroom door was open. She moved forward, keeping her gun out in front. She opened the door slowly.

Her room was dark, and she had been silent so the figure rummaging through her drawers would not know she was there. Sharon took a couple of steps forward and grabbed the person by the scruff of their neck and forced them against the wardrobe. She patted them down and pressed the muzzle of her gun against their neck.

"Okay, you have one chance to tell me why you are in my home."

"Pl..please don't shoot."

The voice was feminine, and the build didn't appear to be Hanson. Sharon threw the figure onto her bed and switched on the lights, still pointing the gun. It was a teenage girl, about Tommy's age. She was dressed all in black and her face was torn between scared and angry.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" The girl didn't answer straight away, so Sharon raised the gun higher. "I am well within my rights to shoot you for trespassing on my property. So - name, motive, now." Adrenaline was still pushing through her, thinking it had been Hanson. With a dangerous psychopath on the loose, you had to be on guard.

The girl finally found her voice. "You can't shoot me; you'd be brought up in front of FID."

"There is no FID at the moment, sweetie. So answer my question."

She gulped, her gaze focussed on the gun. "My name is Sarah Baker. I'm attending UCLA this year. I'm a friend of your step son, Tommy."

Sharon took the chair from her dresser and turned towards the girl. She had never heard Tommy mention her before, not that she would know. She hadn't spent an awful lot of time with the boy since her return. Sharon sighed, happy that it wasn't Hanson but still desperate for answers. "Well that's question one dealt with. _Why _are you here?"

"I was hoping to catch the UCLA Killer. You're working the case, I know he would come after you soon enough!" Sarah admitted and Sharon groaned. Wannabe detectives hunting serial killers that they didn't realise were deranged psychos. She had seen it before, and knew that if this girl got close, she'd end up dead.

Sharon took the girls hand and moved her into the kitchen, not commenting on her unusual method of suicide. "Stay there. If you move, I'll arrest you." Sharon cleared the rest of the house, making sure that Sarah hadn't brought anyone with her. Once she was satisfied that it was just the two of them, Sharon took a seat opposite the girl. "Is there anyone I can call to pick you up? Your Mom, your Dad?"

Sarah shook her head. "Mom lives in Florida and Dad died…he was working on a paper about the UCLA Killer. Doctor Simon Baker."

She remembered the name. "How did he die?"

"Car accident. But I swear that the UCLA Killer did it, my father was onto something big."

"Be that as it may, you can't break into people's houses." Sharon reached for the girl's hand. "Be careful, I mean it. We've already had eighteen girls murdered because of this monster. I don't want to make that nineteen. Now go home. If I see you here again, I _will_ arrest you."

Sarah moved from the chair towards the door. She turned back to look at Sharon, her arms crossed. "At least I'm doing something. What are you all doing? Nothing! You're not looking at motive, about how he killed those other girls, how he got into the campus! The entire internet is laughing at you."

"That's supposed to worry me?" Sharon stood up, pushing Sarah over the threshold. "Just because it's not splashed over the front page doesn't mean that we're not doing something. Now, leave." Sharon pointed to the corridor. Just as Sarah was moving out of her eye line, Sharon noticed the flower on the floor. "Why did you bring the flower?" Sharon asked Sarah, looking at the one crumpled over the doorway.

The girl looked down, confused as to why she was asking about it. She just assumed that someone had dropped it. "It was there when I got here."

Sharon watched the girl walk away, making a mental note to talk to Tommy about her, maybe he could keep an eye on her. She was going to be trouble. She looked down at the ground with the flower, and collapsed against the doorframe. She had wanted Hanson to come here instead of looking for her at the Popes. Guess she got her wish after all.

Later on, Andy came in to find Sharon sitting in the middle of all the mess with a glass of water. She had filled him in on the Nancy Drew sniffing around, and the flower left outside the door. The crib in the corner had not been touched; however a couple of photos were missing from Sharon's collection. An odd photo of her when she was younger, she had probably misplaced them.

"So what are we going to do? You want to call Will?" Andy asked, pouring himself a glass of water and sitting with Sharon. He had put back their things as best he could, but he was too exhausted to do much.

She shook her head. "No, it's easier if I stay here. Just…keeping away from everything."

Andy nodded, agreeing with her. "I thought we'd be okay, but after this…I'm going to ask Lana to go back to New Jersey for a couple of weeks. Just until this is all sorted out."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that your lips are swollen as hell, would it?" Sharon teased. "Courtesy of Chief Johnson, I presume?"

Andy laughed harshly, pulling out a toothpick and sticking it in between his lips. "I don't know what to do, Sharon. I love Brenda, but I feel responsible for Lana."

Sharon traced her stomach, feeling her daughter under the skin. If only she could protect her the same way she was trying to protect Will's kids. "This case screws everything up. Send Lana back to New Jersey for her own safety. She's a target, and we don't need any more of those. Once this is all over, then start to worry about your little love quadrangle."

Andy nodded, agreeing with her just as Lana came in the door, carrying a huge box of takeaway pizza. The cold Chinese food was sitting on the kitchen worktop. "Everything okay, guys? I brought pizza, thought you both wouldn't be in a cooking mood."

Sharon smiled at the gesture, standing up. "Thank you Lana. I'm going to sort out my room; I'm not really hungry at the moment. But thank you."

She moved towards her bedroom, and Andy brought Lana down onto his lap. She kissed him, before allowing herself to be held. They switched on the television and ate pizza for a while, not really talking. Eventually, Andy heard silence from Sharon's room and checked in to see that she had fallen asleep. Putting the leftover food in the refrigerator, Andy went back to his bedroom with Lana.

Lying in bed, he turned to her, stroking her hair. "I think it's best if you go home for a while, Lana."

She shook her head furiously, gripping onto him. "No, Andy, I'm staying here." She wasn't going to leave and give Brenda Leigh Johnson opportunity to steal her man away from her.

Andy kissed her forehead, stroking her cheek. The way he smiled at her made her melt. "Baby, I would love for you to stay here, I really would. But Eddie Hanson was here today, in this place. I don't want anything to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. So, please. Give me one less thing to worry about?"

He did care for her, he did love her. She kissed him on the lips and agreed to go back to New Jersey until everything was sorted out. She drifted off into sleep, and Andy stayed awake. It was only when he looked at the clock did he realise that something was underneath it. It was a family photo of the Popes; looking like it had been taken last Thanksgiving. Andy groaned, getting up to wake Sharon. Hanson kept taunting them, teasing them. He just hoped that they could find him before he got to his game of mousetrap.

X

Simon was slowly going insane. Not just because of the idiot child sat behind him who was screaming loudly and kicking his chair. Not just because the in flight meal was something disgusting and he hadn't eaten all day. Not just because Claudia looked completely calm while flying and he hated turbulence. But more because he was scared of going to North Carolina to try and find Eddie Hanson.

"I'm not scared…okay I'm terrified but not for the reason you think. What if we don't get what we need, and he kills more girls?"

Claudia shook her head. "He won't, he's entirely focussed on the Captain and Flynn. We'll be okay, Simon, just got to have some faith."

The two twin boys sitting behind them had started kicking Claudia's chair. Simon could see that his best friend's resolve was also failing her, and that she was as wound up as he was. Neither of them had had to deal with anything this high in body count before - it had always been the occasional dead person, odd injury. Such was the benefit of working in FID - at least you knew who the killer was before you got started.

"Maybe we could bring them with us? Do you think Hanson likes boys?"

Claudia snorted. When a particularly vicious kick ended up on her lower back she got the crime scene photos that she had been sent and showed one to the boys sitting behind her. "Hey, cut it out or I'm going to do this to you!" It was a photo of the Armstrong boy after he had been skinned alive. That quietened the boys down and Claudia turned back in her seat, content.

"I've started a countdown in my head, Simon. Eight days until we're back at FID. Eight shiny days until there is a new Chief."

"What if it's Brody?" Simon asked, concerned. Claudia just shook her head.

"Won't be Brody. Even if it is, I'll quit. Go to a different police force, go back home. Want to come?" Claudia asked, and Simon grinned.

"It'll be different, going back. Without someone else, it'll just be us four," Simon said, looking out the window. They had been living in a state of uncertainty for months now. It would be nice to get back to some semblance of routine, however weird it was.

Claudia coughed. "I heard the Chief talking to Taylor, and apparently Flynn is transferring over. That'll certainly make things different."

"He's transferring? Cool. Would make it easier for him and Chief Johnson to date."

"Easier to atone."

Simon looked at Claudia, a little confused. "Over Jimmy? I mean, I felt the loss of him more than anyone, but the Captain was right. We never knew the real him, and the real him was a psycho!" Simon coughed, deciding to keep his voice down. Claudia rested a hand atop his.

"Still, maybe he wants to atone. That's what FID is for, atonement. Moving over things, trying to make things better for all the shit that's happened. We're like the _Angel _team. The Captain's Angel, Tony is Wesley, I'm Gunn. You're Cordelia. And I guess that makes Flynn Fred?"

"Yeah, I think it does. Does that mean I'm going to fall in love with the Captain?"

"It's not a perfect match! But let's just avoid lawyers from now on, okay?"

The two laughed as they looked out over the country, their flight almost over, thankfully. Whatever happened in the future, they would have each other. As they started to feel calm, the boys started kicking them again. Claudia dug around in her bag to see what other crime scene photos she could pull out to stop an in flight massacre.

X

Brenda was making breakfast, thinking about how she could get out of the rut she was in. She was still sleeping in the spare room, consumed by what she was working on. She wasn't sleeping well either, girls kept waking up from graves and dragging her down. Brenda thought about calling Andy and comparing dreams, but she knew that was not a good idea. Her relationship with him was becoming more intoxicating, more exhilarating. She was addicted to the way he could make her feel, and if she had learned anything from the two men in her life, it was that addiction wasn't a good thing.

"Morning," Fritz came in, kissing her on the cheek. She could barely feel it. "You okay, honey?"

"I'm fine, Fritzi, thank you."

She put the toast on the table, looking at it. She couldn't seem to find any appetite these days. As everything got closer and more twisted, so did her sense of self. Fritz looked over the table at his wife and felt his heart cry. She looked awful, despondent. He didn't know what to do, but as much as he hated it, he couldn't help her. The only one who could drag her out of the murderer's grave was Andrew Flynn.

There was a knock at the door, and Fritz got up to answer it. Brenda looked at the pot of coffee and her bottle of syrup, not sure what to do with either one. She raised a piece of toast to her mouth, but then put it back down.

"Hey Aunt Brenda."

She looked up and smiled as she saw her niece standing at the doorway. She reached over and hugged the girl tight. Her smile was infectious, and for the first time in weeks, Brenda started to feel more like herself. "So how was your trip?"

"It was good. Apart from the frog. The best place we went to was in New York, where Captain Raydor said we should go. So much fun, although it was State not City so the RV got stuck a couple of times."

Her parents came in through the door and hugged their daughter. Willie Rae frowned at her. "Brenda Leigh, you look awful! I'll go make us some proper breakfast, that will cheer you up."

Clay shook his head as he took his seat at the breakfast table and started reading the paper that they had brought with them. Charlie took a coffee cup and started immediately pouring syrup in the bottom. Willie Rae frowned at the bad habit that her granddaughter had picked up, but watched as Brenda followed suit. Fritz joined them shortly after, sitting down at the kitchen table and smiling at his wife, who had seemed to brighten up.

"Momma, with everything going on with Hanson, maybe it's best if you and Daddy and Charlie keep travelling for a while. I don't want to put you in any risk." She felt she had to say it, she knew that Flynn and Raydor were doing the same as they were targets. After the photos, she considered herself one too.

Willie Rae slid some chocolate chip pancakes onto a spare plate and put them in front of Brenda. "Don't be silly, we'll stay. Me and your father talked about it, and we decided we'd rather be here, making sure you're okay then worrying half way across the country."

"Plus, if he dares touch my daughter, I'll kill him," Clay stated, turning the page of the paper. Willie Rae rolled her eyes and started to get breakfast together. Fritz grinned at the domestic situation, and how his wife's eyes lit up. For the first time, he was glad the Johnson family were back.

X

Professor Eric Hadley watched with a smile as Tommy took apart the pieces of the crime scene and examined them, trying to find the solution to the puzzle. The young man had asked for some extra work over the summer to keep him busy and active, and Hadley had been all too happy to agree. He liked the young man, he was bright and he knew what he wanted out of life.

"So, figured it out yet?" Hadley asked, watching as Tommy looked at the scene. It was from one of his first lesson plans for the freshmen. It took a class of about twenty an hour and a half to work out the missing piece, and from the look on Tommy's face it would only take him twenty minutes. He was definitely born to do this.

"The blood splatter. It doesn't match up with the victim - there's something else missing from the scene. His hat. He was wearing his hat, but it's not at the crime scene!"

Hadley applauded, and smiled as Tommy took a mock bow. They were in a basic classroom, not one of the lecture theatres. Not after what had happened with that poor young woman. Tommy sat down, happy to see he was progressing well.

"That was brilliant, Tommy. Now for tomorrow I want you to write an essay for me, on the Chief candidates. I know your father is up for it and I expect a little bias, but that's what police work is, bias. You find a young girl who has been murdered, and you immediately paint the person behind it as a monster. You have to in order to get through it; it's only the legal system that relies on neutrality. Two thousand words, please, on who would be the best candidate and why."

"It's not a political election; they don't post their manifesto online."

"Guess you'll have to do some research then, won't you?" Hadley grinned. It faltered when the door to the classroom opened and Sarah Baker came in. He was very much considering revoking the girl's application to come to UCLA to study Criminology. She was becoming a danger to herself and others around her with her obsession over the UCLA Killer. "What can we do for you Ms Baker?"

She came in and looked at the scene in front of her. Tommy gave a wave of his hand and went back to his laptop, looking at some things on the screen. Sarah smiled and took a seat in front of the professor. "Sir, I would like a full list of the people who work at this University, and the office won't give me one."

"Perhaps because you are being a silly little girl and trying to catch a Serial Killer, hmm? This class is not _Scooby Doo_, Ms Baker. This is about trying to examine the worlds of crime and policing in a way that can start many careers. I have one young man who wants to join the FBI. I have another young lady who wants to go into forensic linguistics. Private Detective doesn't come under my remit."

Sarah hit her fist down on the table. "I think I know who it is! I know who the killer is!"

"Then tell the police, Sarah!" Tommy shook his head. "What are you going to do, perform a citizen's arrest? I've seen what that bastard is capable of, it's sickening. Stay away and let the LAPD do their job."

Professor Hadley grinned at Tommy. It was obvious to all that Tommy was his favourite; he was wise beyond his years. He'd seen his file, seen what he had gone through. He was more of an adult than the seniors. "I agree with Tommy, Sarah. Tell the police, and keep safe. I don't want to attend another funeral of one of my students."

She left, angry with the both of them for not asking who it was. Tommy shook his head and got back to work on his essay. Hadley watched her go. The walls of UCLA had ears, and if she wasn't careful she would get into a lot of trouble very quickly.

"Okay, leave the research for later. Let's try you with this one."

X

"I hate North Carolina."

"We've been here like five minutes!" Claudia sighed as she drove their rental car through the streets. She wasn't used to the sharp change in weather - Los Angeles has been warm when they had left. Now they were slightly cold, the temperature change ever more apparent.

"I hate the weather. I hate the fact that we're hunting a Serial Killer. Do you think it should be snowing? What's that movie with the killer snowman?" Using their Sat Nav they managed to figure out where to go to get to the Sherriff's office. They turned into the parking space, Simon shivering. "Maybe I should buy a hat and a scarf. Just to stave off pneumonia."

Claudia rolled her eyes and hoisted Simon out of the car. She looked at some of the police officers who were smiling at her as she stood up. Maybe North Carolina would be a nice place to live, instead of Los Angeles. Of course Simon would never come and visit her, but at that moment it looked like a positive. He started to rub his hands together and Claudia smacked him around the back of the head.

"Stop it, or when we find Hanson I'm going to give you to him as a gift."

Frowning at each other, they both went in to talk to the man who was dealing with the Armstrong murders. They were led up by another police officer to find Commander Derrick Baton, a man with a huge moustache and a superior attitude that Claudia immediately didn't like.

"Hello, sir. My name is Lieutenant Belluci and this is Lieutenant Stoker. We called earlier?"

"Yes you did, I remember." He frowned. "You said that you believe the murders of Amelia Armstrong and her family were to do with that old serial killer bumping off teenage whores in LA."

Claudia realised that they were going to have difficulty with him. She had to put a hand on Simon to stop him from verbally abusing the Commander. They would need his help, after all. She smiled. "Sir, Amelia Armstrong is the former Amelia Hanson. We think that he killed her in revenge for ending their marriage; we also believe that he's been living here; getting the medication he uses to kill here. This is just a courtesy to say we're going to be in your area."

Commander Baton stood up, looking at Claudia like he could squash her. If there was one thing that Captain Raydor had taught them it was that they should never let themselves be intimidated. And that Claudia could use her temper for something positive.

"I knew Jackson Armstrong. He was my friend. I will not see his murder go unpunished. When you catch Hanson, if he's the one who killed them, then I want him to stand trial in Asheville. He'll get the death penalty, considering what he did to Alex."

"Sir, we understand you're angry, we get it. But he killed _eighteen _young women who did nothing more than want an education. They weren't sluts, they weren't 'asking for it'. Just because a wholesome family gets killed at his hands doesn't make them any more important than those girls. Some of those families have been waiting twelve years for this, and we will not deny them. Either way he ends up incarcerated or dead. Doesn't matter which state does it." Claudia put her hands on her waist, displaying her badge and gun. "I want you to cooperate, I do. We're after the same thing. So please don't stand in our way. And please give us a list of pharmacies."

The Commander nodded, relenting. "I'll get someone on that, Lieutenant. You got balls, I'll give you that. Just…make sure you get him."

As he moved off to get that list, Simon and Claudia discretely high fived. They were one step closer to finding out who Hanson was.

X

She had decided to get out of the house with a quick word to say she was going to the bakery down the road for doughnuts she was out. About five minutes later she called to say that she had seen an old friend, so she would be back home in a little while. Using the money her parents had given her to shut her up, she had caught a cab over to the UCLA campus to see what had happened while she had been away.

The place was dead; there was only a handful of students still there, which was odd considering how close it was to the start of term. She stood there, looking at the police officers and FBI agents covering the ground and wondering whether she should look and go to another Californian Institute.

"Hey Johnson!"

Charlie looked up and saw a familiar face. It was Pope's eldest son, Tommy. She waved at him as he came over and smiled. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, and he grinned.

"Yeah I'm good. Do your grandparents know you're here? They'd probably get a little pissed off to know that you're here, murder capital of the college system." Charlie laughed. "You want to grab something to eat? I'm starving, been working all day. You can tell me how your College search is going."

They went to Otto's diner for lunch. As soon as he came in he was greeted like family, which he supposed he was now. They got a good table, and Tommy blushed slightly when Otto winked behind him, telling him he approved of his date. He wondered if Sharon had got the same treatment when she brought his father in. She probably did.

"How's your Aunt? Whenever I see her, she looks…distant," Tommy asked, taking a gulp of his drink. Charlie pushed around her salad, upset that she hadn't asked for one of the delicious looking sandwiches that Tommy had. Just as she had given up on eating, Otto presented her with something on the house. Tommy grinned as Otto left them to it. "He's good like that, takes care of people he's close to. I'm family now; well I will be if Sharon marries my Dad."

Charlie bowed her head. "Are they okay? They're not, like ghosts? Because my Aunt Brenda is. She just…sits there and looks sad all the time. I don't know what to say to her, I just wish this case would be over and done with." She smiled faintly. "Maybe we could investigate, see if there's something they missed."

"Some girl I know is investigating; she's going to get killed. Hanson is a psychopath. Best thing is to let my Dad and your Aunt handle it. They know what they're doing."

Charlie thought it over for a moment, taking a bite out of her sandwich and enjoying it. She was definitely coming back here. "But they're so consumed with Hanson; they're missing the small details. I'm not saying let's go hunt him down, I am just suggesting maybe we talk to some of the girls' friends, they'll talk to us more than they'll talk to my Aunt Brenda."

Tommy could see that Johnson glint in her eye, the glint that got a lot of people into trouble. He sighed, coming to a conclusion. "Okay, I know we shouldn't but we'll talk to a couple of people, look at a couple of things. But - no investigating after dark and we tell our family if we get something."

"We're not doing their job; we're not going to find the killer. We're just helping them out. I want this all to be over. I hate what it's doing to my Aunt."

Tommy reached over and squeezed Charlie's hand, understanding her sadness. They ate dinner for a while, and afterwards Tommy paid. Walking into the Los Angeles sunlight, they set plans in motion to go visit some of the victim's friends later that afternoon. As he made sure Charlie got into a cab, Tommy tried to make things right with himself. He wasn't like Sarah, doing it for revenge and to prove the LAPD as idiots. He was doing it so Sharon could finally be part of their family.

X

He found her looking over a garden. It would be quite a nice image if it wasn't a graveyard. She was sitting on the ground at the top of Hanson's back yard, staring at the five graves they had found. Sharon Raydor was looking at the ground with a sense of detachment, or trying to. She was trying to move on, but she couldn't. He sat on the ground next to her and offered her a bottle of water.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking back out onto the graves.

Tony took a sip of his own water and looked aghast at the garden features Hanson had installed. "Heard back from Claudia and Simon earlier. They've got a list of pharmacies, they're all sorted. They'll have a name for us soon, I promise." He looked around, noticing how quiet it was. "They've taken away all the crime tape, all the officers."

"Budget issues. They're working out things for the big press conference next week, who gets to be Chief. They've got the interviews in two days. Will's worried he won't get it." She sighed. "Plus this case is a dead end anyway. Hanson will find us, sooner rather than later. A little crime scene and a cop isn't going to stop him. Nowhere is safe."

Tony put an arm around his Captain, and they looked out onto everything together. "Safety is impossible. Just be happy, and secure in the knowledge that where you are is where you want to be."

Sharon stood up and worked her way over to the graveyard, looking at the holes he had filled in with corpses. She wondered where Hanson was now, whether he was following her, or following Andy or just planning his big finale. Maybe he was in North Carolina, stalking Claudia and Simon. Chief Johnson had asked her to get into the head of Eddie Hanson, and she found it a scary place.

"Are we any closer to figuring out his freaky mind? Why did he start all this again?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, Tony. I can't find anything on Eddie Hanson. His parents died years ago, no one even remembers him when I call around. He has a social security number and a passport and that's all been dead for years. It's like until he married Amelia he never existed." She sighed. "He's been working on this for a long time, covering his tracks so well. The medication, his background. I hate this feeling of being kept in the dark, of not knowing who he is. I hate being scared, but it's all I've got."

Tony nodded. He reached over for her arm, and tucked it around his own. He smiled. "We should go, it's getting dark and I don't like the idea of being here in the dark. Hanson wants this - he wants you scared, terrified of him. I know it's stupid, but don't give him the satisfaction."

She hugged Tony as the two walked out of the garden. He was right; she needed to stop obsessing so much. It wasn't healthy, and it wasn't good for her girl. As they walked away, they missed the man looking out of the attic window, tracing the window glass and the portrait of Sharon walking away. He looked longingly at her before turning back to his prize in the room. It was time to tie up a few loose ends.

X

Another unproductive day of working the UCLA killer case. They were still wrapping up the paperwork from yesterday's murder, not that it was doing them any good. They were all ghosts, walking through the motions, trying to struggle up some sense of what they were doing it all for. Brenda had decided not to drive anymore to work; she couldn't concentrate on everything around her. Gabriel had taken her in today as Fritz was at the FBI building. Unfortunately, Gabriel was meeting friends for drinks after work and Brenda wouldn't deny him the chance to be human. So Flynn offered to drive her home.

"Lana went back to New Jersey today," Flynn said as he spun the wheel on his car. She nodded, not taking anything in. She wanted to kiss him again, just do anything to get the fog out of her brain.

"That's a good idea. I wish my family weren't here, but they bring a little normality back in. I'm worried he's going to go after Charlie, she's just his type. If anything happened to her, I'd kill him." She was surprised by the strong emotion, a reflection of her father's off the cuff remark from that morning. But she knew it was true - if Hanson touched a hair on Charlie's head she'd rip him limb from limb.

They finally made it outside the Johnson house. Flynn squeezed her hand and moved to let her out of the car. He walked her to the door. Fritz was less than happy to see that it was Flynn who had dropped her off, but Willie Rae and Clay were happy to see him. The matriarch gave him a hug, and he shook Clay's hand.

"I'd love to stay, I really would," Andy said, turning down the offer of dinner. "But I better get back. Got to make sure Sharon eats something," he joked, and Willie Rae nodded. She gave him some food to take back home and he thanked her. He squeezed Brenda's hand once more before walking back to his car.

Back inside the house, Brenda sat down at the dinner table where the food was barely warm. She had tried to be back earlier, but she had been waiting on a call from Simon and Claudia. Charlie poked her food around her plate; Fritz looked at the food and his wife with distaste, angry that she had been home late. Willie Rae and Clay were oblivious.

"Pity Lieutenant Flynn couldn't stay," Willie Rae announced and Brenda nodded. She was secretly glad that he hadn't: she didn't need any more complications in her life. Fritz said nothing.

"So how is the case going?" Charlie asked enthusiastically.

Brenda started to answer when Fritz banged his glass down heavily on the table. "No work talk at the dinner table please."

The rest of dinner was dealt with in the same manner, with everyone barely talking. Brenda didn't touch her food, and Charlie didn't either, although she was still full from lunch earlier with Tommy. Fritz kept looking at Brenda, picturing her with Flynn in her car. Had they slept together yet? What were they doing all those hours at the office together? As much as he wanted Brenda to get well, get out of the depths she was in it killed him that he wasn't the one to help her.

"Excuse me," Brenda said, moving her plate to the kitchen work top and heading in the direction of the spare room. Fritz stood up, reaching for her hand. She looked startled at the contact.

"Maybe we should all sit down and watch some TV? Put on a movie?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Just need to start working again." She pushed his arm away and headed into the spare room. Sitting at the foot of the bed, Brenda looked at all the pieces of the puzzle that were in front of her. She wanted to figure something out but she couldn't. There was a knock on the door, and Charlie came in with a chocolate bar. She gave it to her Aunt Brenda.

"Thank you Charlie."

"Can you talk me through it all? Maybe we'll find something if you talk about it with someone new," Charlie asked, and Brenda nodded. Her niece rested her head against her shoulder as Brenda talked, explaining everything. There was a harsh tone to her voice, her skin was pale. Charlie prayed for it all to be over, so she could get her Aunt back. They stayed there for a while, just talking, until Willie Rae came in and put them both to bed.

X

She knew why she was there. She knew that it was meeting Tony and seeing the rose the night before that led her to realise that she could give in. Stop pushing everyone away, stop trying to save everyone and sacrifice herself. It was late when she knocked on the door, and when Will opened it, he was alone. He saw her and smiled.

"Hi."

"Hello," she smiled, moving forward and pressing her lips gently to his. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close. He grinned as she was welcomed back into his house, and she stayed close to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, moving her to the sofa. They sat and watched some show on television, her legs slung over his. He stroked her hair as they watched, enjoying seeing her relaxed. He placed a hand over her stomach, enjoying how hard their baby kicked at his touch.

"Want me to call you a cab home?" Will asked, but Sharon silenced his question with a kiss. Looking at him, she made it very clear that she wanted to stay the night. "Are you sure? I mean, with Hanson and everything."

"I want to stay, Will. Let me stay."

He couldn't deny her anything. She used his bath, enjoying the feeling of hot water on her skin. They only had a shower back at her place. When she came into his bedroom, she saw that he was reading a book, smiling at her over the cover. She was dressed in one of his old shirts, and she immediately crawled into bed with him, enjoying how nice it felt to have someone else in there with her. She cuddled against him, reading odd words from his book but more than happy to just lay against his chest, enjoying the serenity of the moment.

"I love you," Will whispered, kissing her on the nose.

"I love you too."

They kissed again, Will having to put the book down to fully concentrate on Sharon. His hands dipped under the hem of her shirt, resting on her thighs. She urged him forward, wanting to feel some connection. She wouldn't become a ghost, wouldn't become consumed. She would be her, she would be loved.

They removed clothing gently, quietly and went under the duvet covers, warming each other up. Their kisses became languid, soft and Sharon's hands started moving over Will's body, tracing the muscle in his arms and the feel of his arousal. She grinned and his mouth moved to her neck, hands softly stroking her breasts. He gently pushed into her, enjoying her soft sigh of pleasure. They moved together as one, holding each other's focus as they made love.

"Come for me, come on babe. I've got you," Will whispered into the crook of her neck as he worked her body, spiralling her over into pleasure. He joined her, and held her close as they came down from their high. He kissed her neck, holding her tight. "I've got you."

For the first time in a long while, Sharon slept peacefully, knowing that whatever happened, Will was watching over her.

X

Tommy had woken up that morning to Sharon making a cup of coffee. He had said he was going out to meet a friend, and she had kissed him goodbye as he had run out. Soon, once this was all over, she would be back permanently. Then things would get back to normal. He caught a cab over to the Johnson household where Charlie was coming out with a stack of sandwiches and pancakes. He grinned at her.

"My grandma caught me sneaking out; I said I was meeting a friend. She made me food. I think she hopes that if she makes sure I have a healthy lunch; then I won't get into any shenanigans."

The two walked down the road, Tommy stealing a sandwich. As they walked, Charlie explained about his aunt's discussion last night. "She's still not right. I don't know what to do, other than to make her see a therapist or something."

"Maybe ask her to talk to Flynn or Sharon. They seem to be better at dealing with it than most. Which reminds me, Sharon slept over last night. I hope she's staying for good, I really miss her."

The two kept walking, talking about who they were going to visit that day. They were determined to go see Elle Jackson, Keighley Weaver's roommate. As Charlie checked on where she was now via her phone, Tommy got a text. It was from Sarah, saying she had found something on his stepmother to be and she needed him to come quickly.

"Shit, my friend the wannabe detective has got something on Sharon." He sighed. "Well Sarah isn't going to tell the police, at least this way we'll find out what's going on and pass the information on."

Charlie agreed and they found a cab to take them to the address Sarah wanted them at. When they finally got out, they looked around and found the direction they needed to go. They headed up the street until they finally found the house they wanted. As they moved up to the door, Tommy noticed the remnants of crime scene tape on the entrance.

"What is it?" Charlie asked, and Tommy was overcome by goose bumps.

"Shit, that lunatic! This is Hanson's house - it's got to be." In the pale daylight, Tommy saw over the garden fence and saw that there was a bag that he recognised as Sarah's on the grass. Cursing, he sent a message to his father, telling him that there was potentially UCLA Killer related trouble at the house they were outside.

"We should wait for the cops."

Tommy shook his head. "If she's dead…I can't let another girl die." Images of Maria Benson flashed in front of his mind, and both of them together managed to bash through Hanson's gate. Tommy used his flashlight to illuminate what he could in the early morning light. He found Sarah's backpack, but there was no sign of her.

"Tommy."

He looked around to see that Charlie was looking into one of the graves. Pointing his flashlight down, he found the broken body of Sarah Baker.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_LA Times, 26th August 2010 [page 11]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews takes us through what is happening this week:_

_This is the last hurdle for all the Chief candidates. The Mayoral interview will decide well and truly who is the next Chief of the LAPD, which will be announced on the 1__st__ of September. The type of questions the mayor will be asking will be in regard to their policies as Chief, how they see the LAPD moving in future years and no doubt the current budget climate that has led to half the LAPD working one week, and the other half working the next. _

_There are a few betting pools who are taking slips about who will be the next Chief of Police. After taking a slating in the viral media over the past few days, Will Pope has slipped down the running. Now the best bet looks to be Deputy Chief Tommy Delk, the current head of Anti Terrorism. Talking to Delk in a quick mini interview this week, he says he wants to promote a strong feeling of the LAPD, a take no prisoners attitude to crime solving and protecting the public. _

_For a supplement coming out on the 1__st__ of September, I will put your questions about the Chief race and what their policies are directly to the candidates. As always, news on who the next candidate will be can be found on LA Times Online, or on our twitter feed. It's going to be a rocky week at the LAPD, and with the recent UCLA Killer murder, a lot will be hanging on whether they can put that case to bed before the Chief announces his successor. _

_LA Times, 26__th__ August 2010 [page 1]_

_It seems the worst fears of the LAPD have been realised, with another UCLA Killer murder. The body of Sarah Baker, a new freshman at UCLA, was found in one of the graves at person of interest Eddie Hanson's former house. Sarah Baker's body, according to experts, fits the profile of the previous killings, right down to the toxin in her blood used to relax her during the ordeal. _

_Not much is known about Sarah Baker. Her father was Doctor Simon Baker, a renowned criminologist who was one of the well known experts on the UCLA Killer. Her mother resides in Florida, and has been notified about her daughter's death. Students and colleagues of Sarah's at the cancelled Criminology Summer School at UCLA have talked about her death as a tragedy. Professor Eric Hadley, who has run the department for nearly ten years, spoke warmly but strongly about his former student. _

_"Sarah was a wonderful, talented girl who will be sorely missed by all those she touched. However, Sarah was conducting investigations into the UCLA Killer. Please let Sarah's death not be in vain and I ask all others who are hunting for this madman to leave it to the professionals."_

_Critics of the LAPD have called for some action to be taken, as now nineteen girls have turned up slain by his hand. However, a statement issued by the LAPD said that Sarah Baker's death was a tragedy, and that they are following up with all leads. _

_As reported online, if you have any information concerning person of interest Eddie Hanson or any information in regard to the UCLA Killer murders, do not hesitate to call the LAPD or your nearest police station. All information is vital in the capture of a man who is still terrorising the streets of Los Angeles, twelve years on. _

X

Sharon was the first one who had pulled open her car door and rushed through the gates to see Tommy and Charlie. Her gun was out in front of her, like it had been the morning that Sarah had surprised her at home. She pointed it around, making sure they were alone. Flynn and Tony followed suit, rushing through the garden and then through the house to make sure that Hanson was not nearby.

She turned to Tommy and Charlie, who were silent. Charlie pointed to the grave. Sharon moved over and peered inside, seeing the body of Sarah Baker lying there, in the dirt. Brenda came flying through the gates after her, immediately gathering up her niece in a bundle and yelling at her for being so stupid.

"What were you doing here, Tommy?" Sharon asked as the young man came up behind her.

"Got a text from Sarah. We came. We were…investigating, doing some background work on the girls, stuff you wouldn't be able to get as they wouldn't talk to you."

Sharon turned around to the boy she would quite easily call her own and motioned towards the grave. "This is the price for investigating, Tommy, you ready for it? You happy with your choice? That could have been you or Charlie in there!"

Willie Rae and Clay Johnson were escorted onto the grounds by Provenza. They immediately hugged their granddaughter before joining in the chastising of her. Andy and Tony shook their heads as they came back into the garden, the house was clear. Will came in, gun in his hands as he took in the scene. Sharon wasn't done with Tommy yet, but she put her feelings on hold so the morgue attendant could get to the body.

"Go to your father, get out of this garden but don't go anywhere," Sharon ordered forcing him out of her sight. Tommy nodded, leaving the graveyard with his father. The Johnson's escorted Charlie out of the garden, and Brenda came over to join the Captain as they looked at the grave.

"Has she got a lock of hair missing?" Brenda asked the attendant.

Tao went down in the dirt with him and looked at the girl, in a better position to see the hair. "Yeah, she does, Chief." He examined the wound round her neck, where her throat had been slit. "Same MO."

"She's been dead an hour or so. Not long at all," the attendant informed them.

Sharon made a decision, and with Brenda's nod she followed through. "Get her out of the hole, get her to the morgue and I want a screen of all toxins in her blood before we do anything. I want to make sure it's definitely the same guy, just so no defence lawyer in future stops Sarah getting the justice she deserves."

With Andy and Tony by their sides, the two women went out the back to see what had gone on between the two teenagers that had ended up at Hanson's graveyard. Willie Rae and Clay were holding Charlie, who was crying. Tommy was standing by his father, who was looking at him incredible disappointed.

"Okay, so Sarah texted you, and you came here. I'm going to put a theory out here and say that Eddie Hanson lured you out here on the basis of the same hero fault your father has," Sharon rested both hands on her waist. "Sarah was already dead; you two could have been killed."

The Johnson's hugged their granddaughter ever closer. Brenda turned to her parents. "Momma, Daddy, take Charlie home. I'll be a while yet."

The Johnsons left, and Will turned to his son. "Car, now. You're going home."

He nodded to the two women as they left, heading out of the crime scene. After a moment of reflection they went back to the graveyard, watching as Sarah Baker's body was lifted up and taken towards the morgue van. Tony and Andy were searching the scenes with flashlights, but there was no sign of any footprints or any DNA. Eddie Hanson was too careful for that.

"I found her snooping around our place," Sharon began. Brenda turned to her. "She was hunting Hanson."

"A teenage detective gets bumped off. That could have been my niece," Brenda breathed shakily, and Flynn went over by her side to try and comfort her. She let him hold her as the other detectives went over the scene. Gabriel, Provenza, Tao, Tony and Sanchez turned towards Sharon, who was trying to keep calm.

"We're getting close. He's becoming more irrational, bumping people off randomly. We're within arm's reach. Let's check the house again," Sharon ordered, and she and Tony headed back up to see if Hanson had been inside. She was most definitely putting the guards back on the door; she was not going to let Hanson taunt them again.

X

In Asheville, North Carolina, two detectives were unaware of the news that there had been a new victim. The two had woken early to get started on the huge list that had been prepared for them of the different pharmacies in the area. Wearing a scarf, a hat and a pair of mittens, Simon was prepared to start hunting. Claudia was inside talking to a judge with one of Asheville's finest to get a warrant in case they needed it.

"Got it, let's roll," Claudia announced to the two detectives with her as they headed into the car. Just as Simon entered the passenger side door, Claudia ripped the hat off of his head.

They went to the first pharmacy on the list, a small place that seemed part of a chain store. They parked the car, sadly blocking in one man, before heading inside. As the man came out and complained, Claudia showed him the badge and walked away. She had not slept a wink; she wasn't up for dealing with people that day.

All three of them went up to the counter, and turned to the smiling pharmacist standing there. "Hello, how can I help you?"

Claudia was about to say something, but Simon just rested a hand on her elbow and turned to the woman, turning on the charm. "Hello…Abigail, I was wondering if I could have a prescription for Carisoprodol."

Abigail the pharmacist shook her head. "I'm sorry, that particular drug is on a prescription only basis. I can give you the names of some excellent doctors if you require someone to look at joint pain or muscle ache."

"Then how about a list of all your customers who take it?" Claudia put her badge on the counter, as did Simon and Detective Riley, one of Asheville's officers who had come to help.

Abigail turned to her supervisor at the back, who came down to see what all the fuss was about. "I'm sorry you've come all this way, but we can't give over those records. They're private, sealed. As are the doctor's files: doctor/patient confidentiality."

Claudia didn't know what to say, but thankfully Detective Riley did. A smiling redhead with a smirk in one corner of her mouth, Riley knew how to persuade people. Claudia had seen it at breakfast when she had persuaded the people to open early.

"Listen, we have a warrant here, and it's going to get the records. But we'd rather you helped us and weren't seen as assisting a serial killer in his quest to kill innocent families!" Riley yelled in the pharmacy, causing several of their patrons to look round, alarmed.

"We're not helping anyone!" cried the supervisor, looking at the customers leaving out the door.

"Either you're helping us, or you're helping him. If you're helping him, I'll book you as an accessory on eighteen counts of murder." Simon was sure that didn't make sense. Claudia was impressed. Abigail and the pharmacist supervisor were scared, and worried.

The supervisor conceded. "I'll get those records for you. Carisoprodol, was it? Anything to help the police catch a murderer."

As the supervisor and Abigail went to collect the records, Claudia high fived Riley. This was going to work, they would have the alias Eddie Hanson was using in no time.

X

"Why kill Sarah Baker?" Flynn asked, throwing the baseball to Sharon.

They were on the rooftop of the new LAPD building, where there was a terrace and a gallery to the fallen. It was a quite nice area to take a breather, but they were there today to think and to focus on what was going on.

Sharon pitched the ball back to him. "Simple, Sarah was digging where he didn't want her digging. Maybe she found out who he was, and was stupid enough not to tell the police."

Flynn nodded, working through something in his mind. The discovery that morning had been grizzly, especially as they had found three teenagers in that garden, thankfully only one dead. But Sharon had been having chills ever since, wondering how soon before Tommy ended up in an early grave. She wanted to ban him from the UCLA campus, but knew that would do no good. He was especially stubborn, just like his father.

"What do we know about her father?"

Sharon turned to the file she had managed to dig up from her archives on Simon Baker. "He made that awful documentary about the killings ages ago. Didn't know he had a daughter, apparently he and his wife got divorced shortly after the killings ended. He'd been working on an article according to Sarah, but it has never been published."

Flynn flipped the ball to her, and Sharon caught it one handed. "You think he figured it out?"

"I think that maybe he got too close to comfort on something, and Hanson killed him. Just like he did with his daughter. She was barely eighteen, Andy."

He moved over and gave his friend a hug. She enjoyed the reassuring touch of Andy Flynn before turning back to the files. "All we can do is wait. Figure out what's been going on and wait for him to come get us."

"Maybe not." Andy turned to the file they had of Sarah Baker and pulled out what he needed to. "When we've got a spare minute, we can go check out her place, see if she was smart enough to stash anything in a safe deposit box or something."

"It's a start, at least." Sharon looked over the file and then to her watch. "Shit! I've got to meet Will, big important family meeting tonight. So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She kissed Andy on the cheek and started to walk away.

"You're just going to leave me alone in our place where we know Hanson has been?" Andy shot back at the departing Sharon, trying to guilt trip her.

"I'm sure you can find a Deputy Chief to keep you warm."

Andy snorted as he tossed the baseball up in the air. That was certainly one option, not that he was seriously considering it. At least, not _too _seriously.

X

"Okay, so the Mayor is going to ask you about your plans for the city," Mitchell said, sitting in one of the seats opposite Will. The candidate for Chief was sitting at his desk, staring at his hands. "What you need to do is be honest, but of course bullshit the hell out of him. No need telling him you're going to complain about how much money he spends on his mistress's lingerie."

Taylor, from the door, looked confused. He had no idea what Deputy Chief Stephen Mitchell was talking about, and from the looks of it, neither did Will Pope. He moved from his place and sat in the seat, turning to his colleague and friend.

"The Mayor is going to talk to you about the responsibility of the position. You've been working as Assistant Chief for years, you've been able to do that and raise a family." Taylor smiled, before it faded slightly. "Of course, there is one issue."

Will looked up from his hands, the hesitation in Taylor's voice making him pause. "Which would be?"

Stephen didn't want to talk to Will about this, not when things had been going along so well. But it had to be said, and the sooner it was done then Will could prepare himself for the interview tomorrow morning. Taylor and Mitchell exchanged looks, and Mitchell decided it would be better coming from him.

"Will, you're a great man, a great Chief and a great father. But you haven't been so careful where you…dip your ink. I'm a frequent blogger, I use twitter and the sphere is all over your relationships with women. If you weren't currently dating the Women's Coordinator, I would think they too would be up in arms about having such a womaniser on the shortlist for Chief."

Will placed his head in his hands and sighed. He had known that his affairs would come back to haunt him one day, he just hoped it wouldn't be for a very long time. "I don't know what to say. I am fully committed to Sharon, and I don't want to be with anyone else."

"The Chief having a sordid affair is going to rock the department, especially with a co worker. Your relationship with Captain Raydor is sound, but others may not see it that way. They don't see what we see; know what you two have been through."

Will pushed away from his desk and turned to look out the window. He could see Town Hall where the Mayor resided. He could see a couple of officers smoking cigarettes out on the grass. The city lay sprawled in front of him, and he was this close to protecting it. He looked to his two friends sitting behind him, who were trying to help . He sighed, wincing.

"So basically if I want to be Chief I have to end things with Sharon, that's what you're saying."

Before either man could respond, there was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal Sharon smiling at him, coming over so they could go home for the family meeting. She looked so beautiful framed in the doorway, wearing one of her old suits, sort of hiding her pregnant stomach. Taylor looked at how soft his friend's face got and resisted the urge to hit his head against the desk.

"I've got a prior arrangement to go to now, I'm afraid. I'll see you later, gentlemen, and thank you."

He waved goodbye to both men, and then fitted an arm around Sharon's waist as they walked out of the LAPD headquarters together. He opened doors for her, made sure she was okay. That was until they were home and she was up against the side of his car, her mouth making eager work of his neck.

"We should get inside. We've got to get this over and done with," Will groaned, hating the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Sharon rested her forehead against his. "I know, I hate this. Why can't we fast forward until they're all okay with it?"

After Sharon had stayed the night before, they had both decided that it was about time they told Caitlin, Brendan and Tommy that she was pregnant. There would be questions; there would be some shocked faces. Will was worried most about Tommy and how he would react. After all, he was having another child.

"Hey, kids, can you come down for a moment?" Will yelled while Sharon sat in one of the armchairs, her hands shaking. She was worried that the fragile atmosphere they had regained was about to crash and burn where they stood.

Caitlin came down the stairs, followed by Brendan. Tommy was in the kitchen getting a coke and joined Sharon, smiling faintly. He was still in shock from that morning, and she gripped his hand, the anger gone and now replaced by worry. They couldn't ground him; just ask him to be more sensible, and less suicidal. It was all they could do. Will sat on the chair opposite the kids, not sure how to start.

"Me and Sharon have something to tell you," Will began. The kids started getting excited; they hoped she was moving back in with them, it hadn't been the same since she had left. Will didn't know how to say the words, so Sharon decided to blurt it out.

"I'm pregnant."

Tommy spat out the coke that he had just swallowed, and turned to Sharon and his father. "Seriously? How…is it Dad's?"

Will was sitting there frozen, not expecting the question that Tommy had asked. But he could add up, and considering how she looked, she was about six months gone. Sharon rested her hand atop Tommy's. "It's your father's. She's a Pope."

"She?" A little voice came from the corner, and they all turned to Caitlin, Will's only daughter sitting on the end of the sofa.

"We're having a baby girl."

"Not another sister," Brendan joked but Caitlin ran off of the sofa and out into the garden, the sounds of her crying audible to all. Sharon moved to go after her, but Will motioned her to stay. As he walked to find his girl, he could hear Tommy and Brendan asking her questions about morning sickness and craving human flesh.

Will came out into the garden to find his daughter crouched, crying. He sat next to her and put an arm around her. She tried to shake it off, but he held her tight. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"My keen detective skills tell me you're lying," Will used his tie to wipe away the tears that were forming on the end of Caitlin's nose. He hated to see any of his children upset.

"I'm not going to be your best girl anymore, I'm just going to be _one_ of your daughters," Caitlin choked out, clinging to her father.

He didn't know what to say; he had expected such a reaction but not from his sensible, beautiful daughter. Thankfully help came once again from his eldest son. Tommy, who had been through the ordeal of having a younger sibling, another son, who knew exactly what his little sister was thinking. He sat in front of both of them, while their father held onto her.

"Caitlin, it's difficult, being an older sibling. But then you already knew that, you've had to be older than Brendan and take care of all of the men in this household. It's difficult when you've got a brother or a sister, but you're the eldest, the first one that Dad had. Our sister is going to look up to you, and to me and to Brendan as we're her family. She is going to be incredibly lucky to have a sister like you. I know it's not going to take away the pain of not being special anymore, but you are so special. You're you, Caitlin. Nothing could be more special."

She flung herself into her brother's arms, and then hugged her father again. When Sharon and Brendan came out to see how she was doing, Caitlin smiled and hugged Sharon tentatively. The Pope family sat on the garden, looking out at the sun and smiling at the news they had just shared. Caitlin swallowed, and turned to Sharon, trying to be positive.

"Are you excited about having your first kid?"

Sharon shook her head and squeezed Caitlin's cheek. "Not really, I've already got three."

It would take some time to adjust to having a new child, for Will and Sharon both. But at least the baby would be raised in the most loving family she could be.

X

It had been another long day, especially with the discovery of the girl. Gabriel had asked the Chief if she needed a lift home, but she had turned him down. She needed to be around Flynn, just to feel like some normalcy. When everything was quiet and everyone had gone home, Brenda went to Andy's desk, looking like a damsel in distress. Which she supposed she was, after her meltdown at the crime scene that morning. She was constantly waiting for the next call to be about Charlie, or Andy himself.

"Gabriel's gone home already, and I could use a ride back. Do you think you could take me home, Andy?"

He liked the use of his first name on her tongue and he nodded, smiling. "Yeah, sure. Let me just find my keys."

They walked to his car together, Brenda incredibly aware of his body walking alongside hers. She knew she shouldn't, that she was effectively throwing her entire marriage to the wolves but sense and reason didn't seem to be part of her makeup anymore. He opened the door of his car for her, and she slid in the passenger side. She watched as his legs adjusted to fit inside the driver's seat, and watched with an open mouth as his hands slid over the gear stick.

"You okay?"

"Just tired."

He drove the streets of Los Angeles, glancing occasionally at her. She kept smiling in his direction, and he felt his spirits lift by just that smile. She was so beautiful it killed him. He found a space just down the road from her house and he stopped, his hands shaking.

"Why did you stop here?" Brenda asked, her voice quavering. Her hands were shaking and a pool of lust was growing in her stomach. She licked her lips, and watched as Andy closed his eyes. She adored the effect she had on him.

"It's only like fifty yards away, easy. I can't drop you outside your house anymore, I'm afraid something will happen."

Brenda pushed herself up in her seat, turning to him. She unbuckled her seatbelt, putting a hand on his leg. "Like what?"

He rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what! What else happens when we're alone together? We get all lusty and kissy and by God I love it but…it's complicated."

"Do you want to kiss me, Andy?"

"Always."

She reached over and grabbed his tie, forcing her mouth down on his. He groaned as he kissed her, his hands moving under the paltry shirt she wore and onto her back. His tongue was tangling with hers, her scent and taste arousing him more. Using her hands she pulled off his jacket and his fingers unclasped her brassiere. He bit her lip gently, trying to lose himself in her. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to do, or to have more than her.

"There, right there," Brenda moaned into his mouth as his hands were moving down to the waistband of her jeans. He didn't want their first time to be in a car, he didn't know when he had ever conceived that there ever would be a first time, but he didn't want it to be so horny and quick. He wanted it to be perfect.

There was a knock on the window, and a blushing Brenda moved back into her seat. Andy rolled down the window, expecting to see a member of the neighbourhood watch or a particularly irate police officer. Instead it was Willie Rae Johnson, looking disapprovingly at her daughter.

"Your father is waiting at home with your _husband_, Brenda Leigh. I suggest you join me in going there. Lieutenant."

Brenda, like a teenager, grabbed her bag and headed out of the car. Flynn watched them walk away before smacking the dashboard. He couldn't live like this, it wasn't fair on anyone.

X

That morning it was very frosty over the Johnson breakfast table. Clay Johnson wasn't even talking to his daughter, who he was very disappointed in. Willie Rae was trying to pretend that the situation hadn't happened. Charlie was worried that her two grandparents were still angry about the day before, and Fritz had no idea what was going on, apart from that he was enjoying the first peace he had had in months.

There was a knock on the door, and Charlie got up from the table to see who it was. On the doorstep was Tommy, who was looking very apologetic. Willie Rae came up behind Charlie and frowned at the young man currently standing in the doorway.

"Yes? May we help you?"

Charlie inwardly groaned, but in Tommy's defence he took it all on the chin. He knew he was to blame for bringing Charlie to that crime scene, and as someone who hadn't even turned eighteen yet, he considered himself responsible for her. The rest of the Johnson's joined them at the doorway, Fritz the only one remaining behind in the kitchen.

"Mr Johnson, Mrs Johnson, Chief Johnson. Charlie. I wanted to apologise for bringing Charlie to an unsafe environment, and moreover putting her in a position of danger. I'm sorry I didn't uphold your authority Chief Johnson, and pass the information onto you. My only defence is that I informed my father before we went in about the situation we were going to face. I was concerned for the well being of my friend."

Clay grumbled in his usual tone before making his way back to the breakfast table. Brenda nodded at him, thanking him for his apology. Willie Rae shook his hand, before pushing Charlie back into the house and pushing the door in Tommy's face.

"You know I was the one who encouraged him to go investigating, not the other way around," Charlie declared, not sitting back at the table with the others.

Brenda reached for the plate of bacon. "Then you're incredibly stupid, Charlie. We've told you about the UCLA killer, told you how dangerous he is and yet you went off on a man hunt. You could have been Sarah Baker, lying in that grave." She sighed, not knowing why Fritz was smiling at her across the table. "I'll be having words with Tommy's father when I get to work today, but I think that it's best that you two stay away from each other."

Charlie flounced off back to her room, and Brenda looked enquiringly at her husband and her parents, wondering why they were smiling at her. "Good bit of parenting, Mrs Howard," Fritz smiled, causing Clay to join in. He hoped that if Brenda and Fritz would start producing grandbabies, then she would get over whatever she was doing with Flynn. He hoped that his daughter was as level headed as he always thought she was.

Across the hall, Charlie began to cry. Later on, when she had calmed down, she decided to get some fresh air. She promised that she was going to a friends, and with the news that Tommy would be at College; they had let her out of the house. She was going stir crazy in there, and all she had done was try and help her Aunt Brenda. Down the road she walked to her friend Alice's, a nearby neighbour, and saw Tommy waiting for her.

"I know this is wrong, and I don't want us to get killed. But what you said about talking to the girls friend's was apt. I have found two dead girls, one who I _knew _and by God I want to catch this son of a bitch. If I'm stupid, then I'm stupid. But I'd rather be stupid than ignorant."

Charlie weighed up the options, but she knew more than anything else what she wanted to do. "Let's go."

Tommy borrowed a bike from Alex at the garage and rode them over to Elle Jackson's house. According to the people they had talked to, Elle had gone home after the murder of her roommate, fearing she may be next, as it had been in the 1998 murders. She opened the door to them when asked, but didn't look like she was up to questions.

"Everyone was asking me stuff when it first started, I can't believe it'll be two months soon since she's died. Seems insane." Elle sat down on the sofa opposite Charlie and Tommy. "Who did you say you knew again?"

"We knew Keighley's brother - Tommy worked with him on the criminology workshop," Charlie lied fluently, and even Tommy was impressed. "He called us, asked to check in on you as he couldn't."

Elle nodded. "It's sweet of him, to check up on me. He was a good brother, he was close to Keighley." She squeezed her eyes tight.

Tommy took a sip of the water he had been offered, and put a hard on Charlie's leg. She smiled faintly at him. "Were you and Keighley together?"

She shook her head. "No, we weren't. She had a crush on one of the art lecturers, I liked her brother. We were best friends, we were close. More so then most people figure, you know?" Elle clasped her hands together. "I hate it, I remember the last words I screamed through those doors and I just want to cry. Everything about work and college just seems so far away now."

Tommy offered her a helpful hand. She took it gratefully, clinging onto him. "I am so, so sorry for your loss. Sorry for taking up so much of your time, Elle. If you need anything, just contact us."

Charlie put her number down on the coffee table and gave Elle a quick hug. They left the house no clearer than when they had gone into it. Down the road in a small coffee shop, Tommy bought Charlie a slice of cake and watched her demolish it as quickly as her aunt would.

"We still have no leads. I mean what connects Hanson to Keighley? She wasn't sleeping with him."

"Maybe Hanson's a woman now, maybe that's why no one can flush him out." Tommy thought Charlie's idea over. "Keighley was sleeping with him, that's the trigger. Maybe the first murder had something to do with the girl sleeping with Hanson, she broke it off and he killed her for it."

"Then why would he kill the others? There's something we're missing."

Charlie shook her head. "I have no idea; I'm just worried he's going to come around a corner with a butcher's knife."

"It's a smaller blade he uses."

She chucked a whole stack of napkins at his head before continuing on with her cake. Tommy watched her, hoping he would never find her body.

X

When Sharon came into work that morning they were setting up a conference call to Simon and Claudia to see how they were getting on. Tony was sitting at his desk, waiting for the phone to ring. Sharon looked to him, putting a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"You okay, Tony?"

He shook his head. "Strangely enough, I miss Claudia and Simon. Through this whole thing, they've been the bright spot. Now they're not here, and I miss them." He sighed, then turned to his boss. "Just don't tell them that, I'd never live it down."

Sharon giggled, and was joined by the rest of Major Crimes as they came in for Claudia and Simon's report. Andy looked tired as he came into join them - as she had spent last night with Will, she hadn't seen him. He looked dreadful, and she gripped his hand tight as he sat back down with them.

Tao had his laptop out, and Buzz was hooking up a recording device so they could capture the calls from the speakerphone. Brenda had told him to keep it hooked up at all times - she didn't know when Claudia and Simon would be able to find a lead or not. Provenza sat down with his crossword, and the phone started to ring.

_"Good morning from Asheville!"_ came Claudia's voice over the speakerphone. _"I'm sorry but Simon is dead, killed by an ice pick to the head. It was justifiable homicide though; he's been driving me crazy. _

Tony turned to Sharon. "I take it all back."

Brenda just shook her head and focussed on what was going on with her two detectives in North Carolina. "What have you managed to find, Claudia?"

"A ton of pharmacies, seriously this place is teeming with them. We're also going through hospitals, doctor surgeries, anyone who made this prescription. We're also looking at all the towns within a half hour drive - if he's coming in and out of LA, he won't be wanting to drive for long periods of time."

Brenda groaned inwardly, and the rest of the team sighed. They had hoped it would be a slam dunk case, that there were only a handful of people in the local Asheville area who needed the prescription and they would be making an arrest that day. Unfortunately, like every other part of the UCLA Killer case, it wasn't that easy.

"Have you got some names?"

Simon piped up on the phone. _"We do, we're hoping that you can run them through while we're here so we can check and see if any suspects are currently in Asheville. We've borrowed a couple of detectives who were on the Armstrong murders, so we're going through records quicker than if it was just us two, but still slow."_

Tao gave a thumbs up to Brenda to say they had the list so far of people who had the medicine. Tao and Gabriel were busy checking through while Tony started to create a master list in case they had to go back through it. Sharon looked at her watch, less worried about how long it would take, but more worried about Will who had his final interview for Chief. She wished him luck.

X

Will was waiting to be brought into the Mayoral office. His fingers were fumbling over each other, trying to figure out what answers he had prepared for the questions he was to be asked. All he could think about, thanks to Stephen, was how much money the Mayor spent on his mistress' lingerie. He would be having words with that man when he got out of there.

Thankfully he was called in sooner than he thought, and shook hands with Mayor Ford. He was led into the office, a huge cavernous room that was filled with pot plants and a large oak desk. Will sat down in front of it, and Charlie Ford offered him a drink. Will asked for water.

"Sure you don't want something stronger, Will? I've got some spirits that would put your cabinet to shame."

Will laughed, waving his hand on the offer. He had high hopes for the interview. In his work as Assistant Chief he had worked with the Mayor on several occasions, and they had always got along well. Wendell was close to him, and Sharon knew him from way back with her father. He hoped that this interview would be fine.

"Here you go, Will. Well this interview is basically pointless, I know your working style, know your drinking style, and you're a good man. I've interviewed two of the other candidates, just got Brody and Delk left to go. But, Will, I've already made up my mind."

Will's hands shook as he took a sip of the water. "Oh?"

The Mayor nodded, smiling. "I have. It's you, Will. I had my doubts when Wendell said he was retiring, I didn't think you'd be up to the mark but you have far surpassed my expectations. You've become one of the greats, Will Pope. And I want you as my Chief of Police."

Will didn't know what to say. He was in pure shock that he was going to be the next Chief of Police. He'd get a large office, a bigger pay packet. He and Sharon could finally buy a bigger house for the two of them. He'd have to figure out who would replace him, who would be his Assistant Chief. He had some ideas, and someone who would be perfect for the role. They'd try and tell him that they weren't interested, but he knew they would jump at the chance.

"You're looking at me like I'm your parent on Christmas morning, Will. I take it you'll accept the job."

"Well, yeah!" Will shook the Mayor's hand before sitting back down in his chair. He was going to be Chief of Police!

The Mayor poured him a stiff drink and pushed it over the table towards him. "Just one little issue, Will. The Chief has to be seen as a strong, moral, public figure. Someone the public can really look up to and feel trusted in, and that doesn't just stop at the public, it means your officers too."

Will nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He needed that. The Mayor turned to him, smile fading. "I've known Sharon Raydor since she was tiny; I used to work with her father. She's an amazing woman, but you can't date one of your own officers, Will. As Chief of Police, you have to be seen to not hold favouritism, and screwing a subordinate flies in the face of that."

His world crashed around him. He had tried to put Mitchell's fears behind him, but he couldn't. Turning to the Mayor, he could see what he was about to ask him. "I'm not a cruel man, Will, you two can still be together. She just can't work for you. After the UCLA Killer case she can go back to retirement. A little birdie in the LAPD tells me she's pregnant, she can take care of your child without wondering if she's going to be shot at."

Will stood up from the desk. He knew he was a fool; he knew he should shake the Mayor's hand and accept the job offer. But he also knew in his heart that Sharon had no plans to stay at home with their daughter when she was born. They hadn't talked about it, but he knew that she had been raised in the halls of Parker Centre by her father, a man she admired above all others. As for FID, she was in reach of getting it back, her life's work to keep officers from ruining their lives and the lives of others. He couldn't ask her to give up something that made her happy, something that had brought them together.

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that. To give up her career for the sake of mine is unacceptable. If that's the only way I'm going to be Chief, then I don't want the job. Protecting the streets isn't about politics, or it shouldn't be. It's about blood, and who is willing to shed that to protect the public. If you'll excuse me sir, we still have a serial killer to hunt."

Will didn't listen to what the Mayor had to say, he knew he had to get out of there. He had turned down the job he wanted so the woman he loved could keep hers. He knew he should feel upset, angry. But he didn't, he felt…calm. Los Angeles needed people like Sharon Raydor on the streets. They could take or leave a bureaucrat like him.

X

Tony, Tao and Gabriel were still working on the list of names when Willie Rae came into the offices. Provenza immediately was at her side, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Brenda was interested to know why her mother was there, but from the look of her eyes she was only there to see one person. Andy Flynn.

"What is going on?" Sharon asked, but Andy ignored her as he moved from his desk and took Willie Rae's arm. Brenda and Andy exchanged concerned looks, but soon enough it was just Mrs Johnson and Lieutenant Flynn in the break room down the hall.

They sat down on one of their seats, and Andy avoided the gaze of the Johnson matriarch. She asked for tea and he made it, before sitting back down expecting to face the firing squad.

"My husband, Brenda's father, was not impressed by the way you were kissing our daughter last night. I have to say I wasn't impressed either, Lieutenant. I thought you had some self control. When I asked you to look after my daughter, I did not expect you to give her a full body examination."

Andy coughed, before trying to plead with Willie Rae. "I'm sorry, I really am. I just…there's no excuse, your daughter is married but I love her. I love her a lot, Mrs Johnson. And when I'm not with her, which is most of the time, I feel like I'm dead inside."

There was a trace of sympathy in Willie Rae's eyes, but it didn't last long. She took a sip of tea, before shaking her head at the man sitting in front of her. "You're older than her, by a considerable amount as well. My daughter and my son in law don't have a perfect marriage, and if she truly returns your feelings then she needs to do that of her own volition. You can't be kissing in cars, Lieutenant, or going on secret dinners. It's not dignified, and it's not fair to Fritz. If Brenda truly loves you and wants to be with you, then she'll leave her husband. If she doesn't, then you have to deal with it and move on."

Andy nodded, not sure what to say. He knew he had to wait and see what Brenda would do, after this case was over and see if there were still feelings there. If he was honest, he wasn't sure whether she truly had feelings for him, or the ideal of him.

"I'm not unsympathetic, Andrew, I'm just realistic. Once, when I was a young woman I fell in love with my best friend's boyfriend. It was wrong, and I knew it. I didn't do any funny business; I just smiled and talked to him to ease my breaking heart that the man that I was in love with was with someone else. It's hard, but you will get through it."

Flynn nodded, helping Willie Rae up from the table. She smiled at him, patting him on the cheek. "I guess it worked out all right in the end, though. You met Clay, had four great kids."

Willie Rae coughed as she turned to leave the room. "Clay was my best friend's boyfriend," Willie Rae admitted with a smile as she left the break room to find her daughter. Andy grinned as he sat back down. He would wait, see what would happen. He was addicted to her, and he knew what addiction did to him. He had to go cold turkey, wait and see if suddenly he stopped becoming an addict and just a man who enjoyed something that was good for him, every day.

X

She was coming back from spying on Willie Rae and Flynn when she bumped into Will. He looked pleased, and she flung her arms around him, so happy to see him. Will in turn wrapped his arms around Sharon, holding her close. When they broke apart, she kissed him hard on the mouth, enjoying how much she craved the taste of him.

"So, how did it go?" Sharon asked.

Will was unsure of what to tell her. He decided the truth was probably the best option, if they started keeping secrets like he had in all his other relationships, they would be dead in the water before they had even started to swim.

"The Mayor offered me the job."

Sharon squealed, excited for him. She kissed him again, and he enjoyed the congratulatory and celebratory kiss. He could feel parts of him getting excited for her, and he pushed that to the back of his mind. It was going to be a very short lived celebration. He pushed her away and Sharon looked up at him, confused as to why he wasn't as happy as she was. "Will, what's wrong?"

"The Mayor asked me if I wanted to be Chief. I said yes. He said the job came with a small catch. We couldn't be together as colleagues; you'd have to go back into retirement."

Sharon nodded, turning to her lover, smiling once again. "So you said that you'd talk to me about it, and get back to them within an hour, right? It's okay; I'll quit again, properly set up FID with Tony in charge and fix motorbikes between taking care of the kids. Sorted, you can be Chief." She could feel Will stiffen in her arms. "You idiot."

She pushed away from him, trying hard not to look at him. She shook her head, almost in tears. "Being Chief means so much to you Will, so much to this goddamn department. I would give up my job for you to be Chief, so the LAPD was under someone who would do as good a job if not better as Wendell Berrill. I would give anything up for you in a heartbeat, so we could be together."

Will put his arms around Sharon's waist, bumping his forehead against hers. "I can't let you. This department has just got you and Flynn back, and we need you more than they need me. There's no way Brody will be Chief, it'll probably be Delk." He kissed her hand. "I love you, Sharon Raydor. I fell in love with the Captain, as well as the woman. FID is in your blood, as well as on your skin. I'm okay, I am. I have you, and I have our beautiful family. I don't want anything else."

She hugged him as he explained his actions to her. Neither of them saw the Mayor and Chief Wendell Berrill watching them out of the corner. Wendell smiled as he saw the two of them so happy with each other. The Mayor looked at his shoes.

"It'll look bad; there are several candidates with extremely less baggage."

"But not as big a heart as Will and you know that. The LAPD is a family, and we need a family man. At the end of the day it's your call, sir. But I know who I want as my successor."

The Mayor nodded, before walking back to the Chief's office with him. Sharon, led by Will, moved back into the murder room and called for everyone to come around. Claudia and Simon were still on speaker phone; Brenda was still looking at Flynn, wondering what had gone on concerning him and her mother. Provenza was halfway through his crossword.

"Everyone, me and Will have an announcement." Will looked at her, astonished, but Sharon didn't care. She wanted to celebrate the love they shared for each other. "Me and Will are having a baby."

Provenza's eyes went wide, Gabriel grinned, Tao congratulated both of them. There was stunned silence on the phone from Simon and Claudia. Tony didn't know what to say. Sanchez stood up and shook both their hands. Everyone else in the room already knew about the baby.

"How far are you gone?" Tony asked, looking at his boss' stomach with a sense of dread. He could tell that everyone in the room was finally where Simon and Claudia were, and wondering if the baby was Jimmy's. From the look on Sharon's face though, he could see no trace of malice towards the child, just happiness for her and Chief Pope.

"Six months, I'm due middle of November. We haven't decided on names yet, apart from her surname. Pope."

The team was still quiet. Eventually, Simon and Claudia piped up on the phone. _"Can we be godparents? Me and Claudia promise not to drop it on its head."_ The audible sound of someone being hit with a book was followed by Claudia's pronouncement. _"It's not an it, you dummy. What are you having, Captain, Chief?"_

"We're having a baby girl, Claudia," Will explained, putting an arm around Sharon.

"She's a cute thing too," Andy piped up; pulling the ultrasound picture he had a copy of out of his wallet, and showing the boys. Tao and Tony looked at the little picture adoringly, and even Provenza had to agree it was nice to see some happiness in the LAPD.

Brenda watched as the couple who were celebrating their love in front of everyone, kissed. Her eyes moved over to Flynn's involuntarily, and he smiled at her. The team one by one congratulated the couple, shaking hands. Claudia and Simon were arguing over baby names on the phone, and Tony was debating whether or not to hang up. They still had a killer to catch; they still had personal issues to iron out. But for that moment, everything was how it should be.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Extracts from Doctor Simon Baker's unpublished article on the UCLA Killer, 2009_

_"The UCLA Killer is a particularly curious subject which has been covered by a great many psychologists, criminologists and profilers. Like Jack the Ripper but with a higher body count - the UCLA Killer remains a person of some interest who massacred nine young women and then disappeared off the face of the Earth." _

_"The particular way he kills them has always been of some interest. The slitting of the throat suggests a sacrificial cut. The way he prepares the body by washing the flesh is in preparation for the afterlife, making the flesh clean. No police officer or investigator has ever looked into the idea that these girls may be in need of 'purifying', perhaps because the LAPD and the press wanted the girls to be presented as mere innocent victims of a dangerous psychopath. Either way, the motive here seems to be similar to the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888, he too was purifying the East End from the prostitutes that worked there."_

_"Eddie Hanson was the chief suspect in the UCLA killer murders, and also a help to Detectives Flynn and Raydor in their case. He worked as a Criminology lecturer at UCLA, and thus had access to all the girls who studied there. Through examination of the victims and their lives, the Detectives managed to establish that all the victims had a friend or family member in his class. This meant that Eddie Hanson could easily pick from his share of the student body, but the link would be passable at best."_

_"Profilers suggest that serial killers pick within their own ethnic group. Yet, the UCLA Killer didn't do that. His type was set to a particular structure - young women who operated within the University. If the killer was not Hanson, then it would indeed have to be someone who worked at the school. If any other killings were to happen on campus, then the point would still be relevant. The access to the students and the way the school worked would only be known to older students and members of the faculty. Perhaps ex members of the student body and faculty could be considered, but overall they would not have the access."_

_"If we look at Hanson as a possible suspect, then the motive behind the killings is quite simple. His wife divorced him and had a child with another man in 1997, the year before the murders. This could have sparked a chain reaction within him that could have led to his killing spree. Perhaps the young women act as a symbol of the throwaway culture that love has become, with people becoming mere sex partners with no feelings attached. The girls could act as a vessel for which Hanson triumphs over his ex wife over and over again in violent fashion."_

_"Unfortunately, as it stands, there is no way to determine who the UCLA Killer is. Eddie Hanson seems the prime suspect, but until he resurfaces there is truly no idea who murdered nine girls in the summer of 1998. Maybe, one day, the killer will resurface and the true madness behind the monster will be revealed to an eager and awaiting public."_

X

Sharon fiddled with the lock of the door before managing to open it. She looked up to see a figure coming down the hallway, someone she had hoped to avoid by leaving early and only telling Flynn where she was going. She had been meaning to do it for a week now, ever since Andy had mentioned the idea. It had come down to the day before they announced who was Chief, and as tensions were high in the Pope household she had snuck out. However, it looked as if her carefully laid plan had been thwarted.

Tommy Pope had become haunted since the death of his friend, and of the death of Maria Benson. When she had met him last year, he had been troubled, damaged. Constantly fighting the world and trying to scrape a path for himself that would be respected and valued by others. Now, having done that, he was fighting another battle about whether the path he had chosen was the right one for him.

"Tommy, you should go home. If your father found out you were here," Sharon started, not sure what to tell the teenage boy.

He rested his head against the door frame, his eyes dark. "You're searching Sarah's room. I want to be here."

She could order him to go home, but she knew it would do no good. He needed to help in small ways, or he was going to become lost. She had seen it happen a lot with other officers, officers who felt particular connections to victims and yet couldn't pull themselves up. She was seeing it in Brenda Leigh Johnson's eyes. That woman was in desperate need of a rope.

"Okay, just don't tell your father."

Tommy smiled as they pulled open the door and looked inside. As a future freshman at UCLA with a place on the Summer School, Sarah had been given a temporary dorm room. Her roommate had gone home early, not staying for the cancelled summer school and the murders going on in the halls. They opened up the door to find the entire place cleaned out. No marks on the wall, no linen on the bed.

"What the-" Tommy went inside, pulling on a pair of gloves Sharon tossed him. She grabbed a caretaker as he went past, interested to know what had happened.

"Excuse me; did you clear out this room?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. We don't go in the kids rooms when they're occupied. Only someone with a key could go in and out. I can check with the warden, if you'd like."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."

Sharon moved in the room with Tommy, staring at the blankness of it all. She doubted that Sarah's room would be completely blank, she would have notes and pictures and things of her quest to find the UCLA Killer. Sharon had hoped to find Sarah's notes so she could examine them for herself, try and figure out what was going on in the young girl's head.

"I checked Sarah's bag last night in evidence - there was no key in it."

Tommy searched in the bathroom. "So the killer must have taken it and cleared out all her belongings. He really didn't want anyone to find out what was in here."

Sharon agreed. She searched under the bed, looked in the wardrobe. There was not an inch of paper, an ounce of life in the room. She hated that the UCLA Killer was always one step ahead of them, it made her sick. She needed to gain the upper hand, and quickly.

Tommy sat down on the bed. "Me and Charlie went to talk to Elle Jackson last week." Sharon frowned at him, she should have heard this days ago. "I know, we shouldn't have. She said Keighley had a crush on one of the art lecturers. Maybe they killed Keighley because of a lover spat. Maybe Eddie Hanson is now a woman, he's good at hiding himself."

She laughed softly. "Eddie Hanson has had plastic surgery, but to that extent would take psychological testing, which he'd fail. Maybe you're onto something with the lover's spat though. I need to go back to the beginning, way back. Talk to Madeline Parker's friends, see if they can tell me if she was dating anyone."

The caretaker stuck his head in through the door. "I'm sorry ma'am, but no one has been in here for a week and a half."

Sharon nodded, and took a few photographs of the room before heading out with Tommy. She turned to the young man, worried for him. "Go home, Tommy. I'll be okay."

He conceded, giving her a hug and turning to walk in the opposite direction. Once he was out of her sight, Sharon called Andy. She would need some help reviewing the original girl's friends, and she wanted her wing man on this. She hated the feeling of working this case by herself; she could feel Hanson's eyes on her all the time. It scared her.

X

"We've been at this for a week now and we are no closer to finding out a name. It's the first day of September tomorrow, I want to be there when they announce the results for Chief," Simon moaned. "We've covered all the pharmacies in Asheville, and now we're on towns? How are we supposed to find this guy? Maybe he's double crossed us again, Claudia, and he's secretly getting the medicine in Vegas? Or maybe he's getting it in someone else's name and this is just a scam."

Claudia smacked him around the back of the head, tired of his whining. She was seriously considering tying him to a tree with a bottle of the pills at his feet as a gift for Eddie Hanson. Riley sniggered as she turned to her own files she was looking through.

"Simon, this is the only lead we have got. We are going to stay here until we get some results or I murder you, whichever comes first. So just shut up and sort through the records."

They were cross referencing via speaker phone every time they got a new set of records with Tao and Tony at the LAPD. They were doing checks to see if any flags were raised in LA, and so far the only potential suspect they had uncovered had also uncovered a secret drug ring operating through Arizona. The Chief had given that one to the FBI to deal with.

"I wish we could use the FBI resources on this," Simon muttered. "Fancy computers, lots of man power. Technically it is there case; he is crossing state lines and murdering people."

Riley shook her head. "Don't know for sure if the Armstrong's were murdered by your guy - doesn't match the MO. No need to call the Feds and let them take over your case."

Claudia liked Riley more and more by the day. "Hey, ever fancy coming to work at the LAPD? I feel in the sudden need for a new partner."

She chuckled, and Simon frowned at her. He knew she was only trying to wind him up, but it was getting to him. They'd keep working at it all, but it was becoming a chore. Claudia also longed to be at the LAPD and indeed LA, just to get some sun on her face, and to see who would be the new Chief of Police. But they had another day's work ahead of them, and they would not leave North Carolina until they were finished.

"Okay, got a guy. His name is Earl Hanks. He is listed as a carpenter just a few miles from here. Had to go on the medication after his muscles kept aching while working on wood. He lives alone, and interestingly it says he pays for his prescription by cash."

Simon shrugged. "He's a carpenter, maybe he doesn't have insurance."

Claudia nodded, looking at the file. "I'll check with Tony. Maybe if he hasn't been paying his taxes, it's because he's not getting finances from his wood work, but from a job in LA. We've got a lead, this is good stuff!"

A small jolt of energy ran through the three Detectives and they kept working. Hopefully they had just taken one more step to finding out who the UCLA Killer was.

X

With Andy by her side, Sharon headed out to find a friend of both Madeline and April's who could tell them more about their lives. Something had made Hanson switch from burying his girls in his back garden to displaying them for all to see on the campus of UCLA. They had got information from the book at the memorial service, and discovered Janey Evans, a girl who had known both Madeline and April.

They knocked on the door, Andy keeping his hand on his gun. He had seemed chirpier in the last week, happy when Sharon had spent a couple of nights at home to get some peace and quiet and to be by herself for a while. He wasn't looking longingly at Chief Johnson any more. Andy seemed to be moving on, and Sharon hadn't decided whether that was a good or a bad thing yet.

"Hello?"

Andy and Sharon showed the woman on the doorstep their badges. "Janey Evans? May we come in?"

"Sure."

She took them into a living room and asked her two young children to go upstairs and play with their toys. They sat on the sofa, and took the offered mugs of coffee. Janey looked older than what Sharon had expected considering her yearbook photo that they had managed to find. The woman had gone on from the death of two of her friends to become a doctor at Cedars, with a family. She hated to bring it all up again, but they had no choice.

"I guess you know why we're here."

Janey nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "April and Madeline. I was absolutely gutted when Madeline was murdered, and then when April was? I was so frightened that I was going to be next. But when another girl was murdered, I didn't know what to think."

"It was a rough time, for everyone. Madeline was dating Jackson Laurie," Andy stated. "Was she dating anyone else that you know of?"

Janey looked down at her shoes. "No."

Sharon turned to Janey. Although the girl was no longer a scared college student, she was still young and still scarred from the murder of her two best friends. "Janey, we need your help. The UCLA Killer has killed more girls. Anything you can tell us would be helpful. More than helpful. You save lives for a living, but you couldn't save theirs." It was harsh, but she needed to get the information that Janey was withholding. "Help us now. Help _them _now, help catch their killer."

Janey clutched her face, tears spilling down her cheeks. "He never knew I knew, but Madeline was sleeping with one of the lecturers. We had a friend, Jess, who was doing Criminology. She sat in one day, got really interested. She was fucking Eddie Hanson. Not even April knew."

Andy nodded, realising what this meant. "Did they break up?"

"He was really weird, and Madeline got scared, so she ended it. Promised not to let anyone know, but he…I don't know; he must have killed her in revenge. I was the only one she told."

Sharon and Andy had what they needed. Madeline had slept with Hanson, and that's what had led him to moving his murders into public domain. They shook Janey's hand and headed to the door. Just as they were leaving, Sharon reached for her wrist.

"Lock the doors, lock the windows, stay with someone at all times. We're not going to tell anyone who told us this information, and don't talk to anyone about it. If Hanson even _suspects _you know this information, he will kill you. But then, I guess you already knew that."

Janey nodded, and watched as the two detectives left. They headed into the car, finally closer to finding out why Hanson did what he did, but not who he now was. Sharon wanted to swing by the UCLA campus and talk to Professor Hadley about Tommy, and maybe see if he knew anything about Keighley Weaver. They headed off in the direction of the campus and managed to find Hadley in his office.

"Captain Raydor, so lovely to see you again. And this is?"

Sharon introduced Hadley to Flynn, and the two shook hands. Sharon saw one of Tommy's essays on the top of the desk, and it had got an A grade. She grinned. He was a good detective, a good student. If only he could fight his demons.

"We were wondering if you could tell us anything about Keighley Weaver. I know you knew her brother."

Hadley nodded, pouring them a glass of water each as courtesy. "I didn't know Keighley that well. Her brother was a great student, a junior in my Criminology course. He wasn't a natural like some people I know, but he worked hard and got the grades deservingly. She was doing art; she was close to her brother. That's all I know, I'm afraid. Is that the reason you're here?"

Sharon bowed her head. "Not really. Tommy's been investigating the UCLA Killer. I know you're his lecturer, and he respects and admires you so much. I was wondering if you could talk to him. Just warn him off, make sure he knows what he's doing will end badly. I'm afraid after finding two dead girls he's turning into a vigilante."

Hadley nodded, visibly upset. He cared a great deal for Tommy, and he shook Sharon's hand. "I warned Sarah, and she didn't listen. I'll talk to Tommy; I won't let anything happen to him. I'd…I'll talk to him, thank you for letting me know."

Sharon nodded, and decided to leave the professor alone. He didn't know the victims well enough to offer an opinion, but she had what she needed. Someone else to keep an eye on Tommy, something that they were in desperate need of. While he respected her and his father, he would try his best to make them proud of him. Sharon just hoped he would listen to his professor. She didn't want to go to his funeral.

Andy and Sharon came back to the LAPD after their afternoon discussions. He went to go get himself a cup of coffee while Sharon sat next to Tony, wanting to see how close they were coming, if at all. It had been a tense week, they all felt on the brink of something but nothing had come out of it. A model had been slashed up by her boyfriend in a dahlia type murder that was intended to bring publicity for the film that the boyfriend was staring in. Thankfully Brenda had dealt with that case in two days, and now they were back onto something that was increasingly turning cold.

"We got anything?" Sharon asked.

"For once, we do. And it has nothing to do with an Arizona drug ring. Guy Earl Hanks works as a carpenter. Apparently he has muscle issues, so gets the pills. We've just done a check on him, he doesn't pay taxes, doesn't claim benefits. He doesn't have any medical insurance, doesn't seem to even have a passport. Guy basically is a name in a doctor's surgery."

Sharon looked at the screen. There wasn't a photo for him, but she had a good feeling about it. "Tell Claudia and Simon to see if you can get a photo, or pick him up if you can. Let's find out the truth about Mr Hanks."

When Andy came back with two mugs of coffee, Sharon was smiling.

X

They were at a posh Italian restaurant in Hollywood, and the group had gathered together to wish Will luck for tomorrow. Taylor and Mitchell had come alone, and although Brenda was going to bring her husband, he was getting back late that night from Arizona and just wanted to rest at home. It was only Will and Sharon at the table who were a couple, but no one really minded. They were too cute with each other to complain about.

"Well it's been a hard, crazy few months. And although it's not over and done with yet, good luck Will. Out of all the candidates, you deserve to be Chief. So I wish you all the best, you fine, fine man," Mitchell toasted, and they all clinked glasses in the centre of the table.

Under it, Will gripped Sharon's hand. She knew he felt awful; he had tried to cancel the dinner best he could. He didn't want everyone to make such a big deal over the Chief issue, when he knew he wasn't going to get it. He had chosen the woman he loved over the job, and he knew that no one at the table would understand it, especially not Brenda. They had all worked hard, fought for him. But in the end he had chosen his own happiness.

"Odds are it's not going to be Brody. I think if I'm honest, it's going to be Delk. People want a strong leader; he's been giving interviews all over the place of late. Officers like him. He may be a bit egotistical, but he's not a bad guy. We could have worse people as Chief."

"Simon," Sharon muttered from her dessert. Will laughed, stealing a spoonful of hers. Brenda had demolished her cake within thirty seconds of it being placed in front of her. Sharon was savouring her ice cream, and Will couldn't stop looking at her. Despite some outside factors, things finally seemed to be getting good for them.

Dinner finished too quickly, and the two men stayed for a quick drink. Sharon tried to talk to Brenda when they headed into the lounge, but she rushed off, not wanting to stay with the group. Sharon was worried about the Southern blonde; she didn't want to see her end up a walking ghost. Soon enough it was just her and Will, though, and they walked hand in hand through the warm August streets.

"You okay, honey?"

Will shook his head. "I just hate lying to them; I'm not going to be Chief. I just hope they never find out."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. I am so proud of you, you know. You finally chose a woman and your family over your career. You're growing as a person."

Will snorted and they walked for a little longer before circling back to the car. They moved inside, and he reached for her hand, squeezing it tight. "So, I'll drop you off at your place?"

Sharon nodded, reaching over to Will's thigh and giving it a tight squeeze. He smiled. "I was hoping to come back to yours and have an amazing night of passion with one of the Chief candidates. But if you're not interested…"

He smirked, shaking his head wildly before driving them back to his house. Caitlin and Brendan were all tucked up in bed, Tommy was also asleep. On the fridge there were several good luck cards and messages from all three of his children. He didn't know what to say, and as a tear slipped down his cheek, Sharon made her way over to him and kissed his neck. She couldn't offer the true comfort he needed, the knowledge that the LAPD would be in safe hands. But she could offer him comfort of the moment, so he could forget about what he had given up for her. She kept kissing his neck, nibbling on the skin she found.

"Sharon…"

She turned him around, pulling off the dinner jacket he had worn. She undid the tie, leaving it on the floor. Next were the braces, then the shirt buttons. Her mouth immediately attached itself to his chest, sucking on his skin. He ended up pulling down his trousers and pulling herself towards him, pushing her mouth upwards onto his.

They made their way up to his bedroom, kicking open the door and ending up tangled in his bed sheets. His hands buried themselves in her hair, forcing him closer. He could get lost in her so easily. Sharon closed the door, and then moved herself onto her lover. Together they pulled the thin dress she had on over her hips and her breasts before depositing it on the floor beside them.

His hands grazed her milky white skin, tracing over her curves. She wasn't showing as much as she could be, but her stomach was still rounded. His thumbs moved inside the edges of her panties and pulled her underwear down. The scars that Jimmy had given her were still there, but the memories were becoming weaker with every touch on her skin, with every heartbeat of her girl, with every moment she spent with friends.

He slipped himself inside her, groaning at how wet she was. Her hands secured themselves around his neck, fingernails gripping onto his shoulder blades while she rode him. They kissed again, tongues touching. He needed this so badly, and so did she. No Chief race, no psychopathic killer. No problems at work, no problems with kids or former teammates. Just two lovers, sharing the most intimate embrace.

"I love you," Will whispered to Sharon as their pace grew until she tumbled over the edge. He joined her, moaning her name as loud as he dared.

Sated, the two laid together in the sheets. Sharon was tracing love hearts onto his chest. He kissed her fingers, happier than he had ever been. She turned to him, stroking his cheek. "I love you, Will Pope. Everything else can go to hell. We're together, that is the only thing that matters."

She kept repeating the little mantra until she fell asleep in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and fell asleep himself, dreaming of nothing but happy thoughts.

X

She had needed to get out of the restaurant as quickly as she could. She couldn't sit there and act like everything was alright. She was surprised that Sharon Raydor had managed to stay there as long as she had without wanting to hit something or break down into tears. Everyone was mumbling on about the Chief Race, when she had more important things to worry about, like Eddie Hanson. For the last week she had felt adrift. Flynn had been keeping his distance, expected after her mother had talked to him. But she hadn't needed that, hadn't wanted that. All she had wanted was someone to talk to her, tell her she was going to be okay.

"I just want to check something, thank you Detective."

She made her way through the gate of Eddie Hanson's house and into the back garden. The place was effectively deserted; there was only one officer on the door. She needed to be by herself, think by herself. She couldn't do it at the LAPD, there were so many thoughts circling. She couldn't think at home, everything was crashing in on her. Her parents, her husband. She just needed some peace.

The officer wasn't watching, the garden was far away. She kicked off her heels and picked up the hem of her dress before she jumped inside the grave. It was one of the shallower graves; Hanson had dug for quite a while to get the right depth that he needed to bury the bodies undetected. She wondered, not for the first time, whether the girls had been semi alive while in the graves. It would make sense, put them in the holes and then murder them there. The dirt would rot away all the blood, all the skin. She traced the walls of the grave, dug her fingers in the dirt. She imagined not being able to move; knocked out with so many drugs that all she could do was open her eyes and watch.

She closed her eyes in the grave, focussing on nothing but the sound of the wind, of the sound of the earth shifting under her feet. Then there was the sound of dirt falling on her body and her eyes opened wide. She looked up to see Hanson standing over her. When she tried to reach for her gun, she saw that it wasn't Hanson, but instead it was Andy Flynn.

"Brenda, what the hell are you doing?"

"Having a nap." He offered her a hand. She didn't want to take it, knew that whatever had gone on between them was now over, and she was crying out for what she had lost. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

Andy jumped down into the grave, kneeling down to see her. She scrambled up on her knees. "The officer on the door was worried, he called me. Chief, this isn't right." He took the lead in her use of rank, hating himself.

"Nothing about what has happened these few months has been right. Not 'us', not this case. I keep thinking about these girls, these buried girls. Under so much dirt they can't breathe."

She was pale, her dress and skin smeared with dirt. Andy knew he should help her out, offer to call Gabriel so he could take her home. But he didn't want to. As much as he knew what Willie Rae had said last week made sense, he couldn't get over how much it had hurt to see Brenda crawl down into Hanson's graves and not pull her out. He reached for her hand.

"Let me help you breathe, Brenda."

She reached for him, moving her mouth over his. He kissed her back, harder than he had ever dared, painfully so. He wanted to dig under her clothes, pull them all away and touch her, force her to wake up. But when his back hit dirt instead of a mattress, it then occurred to him that they were in an open burial pit.

"Come on, let's get you home."

Brenda, weak, nodded. Andy gave her a hand out of the pit, and nodded to the officer as they made their way outside. They got into his car; she had taken a cab over. He drove, but didn't drop her outside her own house. Instead he stopped outside his apartment. He turned off the engine, and reached for her hand. He clasped it tight within his own.

"I don't want to take advantage of you, because you're hurting and you're confused. But I've got some homemade chocolate chip cookies from a neighbour and a shoulder you can use. I'm here, always, for you."

That was all she wanted, and he helped her into his place. He showed her where the shower was, and Flynn had to use every ounce of self control he had to not go in with her. He was attracted to her, in love with her, but he wanted to help her more.

"So, I believe there was talk of cookies?"

They ended up in his bed, talking about the case. They started talking about every case that had ever got to them, and Flynn's list eclipsed Brenda's. With the cookies finished, Brenda huddled against Flynn, who put his arms around her. She was wearing a pair of pyjamas he had borrowed from Sharon's things.

"How do you do it, honestly, Andy?"

"Well I used to drink myself to death. Every hard case, a couple of hours in a bar would sort it out. Then, after that I had AA, and toothpicks. After a while, I started using you. Every time a case got to me, I'd look at you and draw strength from you," Andy bowed his head, but Brenda pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You blush and you act like its silly, but it's not. I'm feeling the same, I'm getting so worked up that the only thing that gets me through is the idea of seeing you, of seeing you smile at me like I'm the only woman in the world."

He kissed her gently on the lips, before letting her call her parents to say she was staying round a friend's. He let her sleep in his bed, moving into Sharon's. He wanted more, but until everything was over it was better that things remained strictly platonic, or as platonic as it could be with them kissing all the time.

"Night, Andy," Brenda waved from the doorway.

"Goodnight."

As he laid down in his bed, Andy smiled. Once Eddie Hanson was caught, and they could get justice for their victims - she might choose him over her husband. As the woman he loved slept in the next room, he mumbled a quick prayer for her. She would need it.

X

It was early on the first of September, and he had had to miss his father's good luck breakfast after receiving a call from his professor, wanting anxiously to talk to him. Tommy stepped into his professor's office, but he knew that this wasn't going to be a happy visit. When he came in he saw that the professor was packing up boxes. All his office had been packed away.

"Sir, everything okay?"

"Its fine, Tommy, they're moving me to a new office." Hadley sighed. "Tommy, is it true you've been investigating the UCLA Killer?" His tone sounded measured, calm. A deliberate trick to make it look like he was supportive, or not going to be mad at his actions.

Tommy nodded, knowing that his answer would ruin everything. But he had to be honest. "Yes, sir, I have. But…"

Hadley didn't give him time to explain. He just threw the boxes he had been packing onto the floor, rushing to Tommy's side of the office. He pushed Tommy against the wall before backing away, running his hands through his hair. He looked aghast at him, not just disappointed.

"You stupid, stupid little boy. After what happened to Sarah, how could you even think about investigating that madman? _Leave things well enough alone. _Otherwise you're going to end up dead, just like Sarah. Leave the investigating to Flynn and Raydor. Just concentrate on your studies, not your desire to be one of the Hardy Boys!"

Tommy didn't know what to say. He brushed his clothes down, looking at his mentor. He was worried, he had tried so hard to be a good student, he didn't want to ruin any chance he had to be Hadley's protégé. Hadley looked so mad.

"Sir, I was just trying to help. The friend's of the girls won't talk to the police, but they'll talk to me and Charlie. I was just trying to help, Professor. I was just trying to help the investigation along, so we could get back to normal."

Hadley didn't say anything, just continued staring at the boxes. "We agreed it was stupid. We talked about how Sarah's actions were foolhardy, that she was going to end up getting herself killed! I thought you agreed, Tommy. But you idiotic little child. You could be this close to dying, you know that? The UCLA Killer would easily cut you up for investigating him."

"I know, and after Sarah…I just wanted to help my family. I needed to. I'm sorry sir if you think I'm an 'idiotic child' for wanting to do that, but it's done. They've already got a name that they're crosschecking now from North Carolina, sir. By the end of today, they'll have got Eddie Hanson. You won't have to worry about me anymore." He bit his lip. "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment to you, sir."

Tommy left his office, slamming the door behind him. He walked off as fast as he could before he found a corridor where he could sit down and hold his head in his hands. He had ruined everything, like he always did. Tommy started to cry.

X

They found the house belonging to Earl Hanks, and Riley had managed to get a search warrant for it. Claudia knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Frowning, she knocked on the door again. Still no answer. That was when she and Simon kicked in the door. They looked inside, and found just what they all expected. A completely empty house.

"Well I think we've found your guy, guys," Riley announced, moving inside to clear the house.

As she and Claudia checked upstairs, Simon went through the mail on the doorstep. There were no red marked bills for electricity, no personal letters or magazine subscriptions. Just a collection of leaflets and junk mail. It was then that he checked the light switch. It didn't work. The two women came down the stairs, shaking their heads. There was no one there.

"No electricity. I bet this is a rented place, always pays on time. Whenever he sees his neighbours and they ask why he's never around, he says he's gone to a wood show or some shit like that."

Claudia looked out the window and saw exactly what she wanted to see. A neighbour across the road flickering her curtains in their direction. "Just because he says it doesn't mean his neighbours believe him."

They headed across the street to the neighbour with the over eager curtains. There was a neighbourhood watch sticker on the window, and Claudia smiled. This could be the help they needed to uncover the truth about Earl Hanks. The elderly woman who owned the house opened the door, smiling at them.

"Yes?"

"Ma'am I'm Lieutenant Belluci, this is Lieutenant Stoker and Detective Riley. I was wondering if you could help us out with an enquiry. We're investigating your neighbour, Earl Hanks."

The old woman beckoned them all inside, smirking. They sat down on the chintz furniture and were presented with tea and a plate of biscuits. Claudia took the lead in the interview, liking her new position of power.

"Ma'am, I was wondering what you could tell us about your neighbour, Earl?"

The old woman smiled again as she poured the tea. "He moved in about seven years ago. A nice family lived there before, but they moved out suddenly due to a family death. He was always polite. He talked to my late husband a lot over the gardens. Earl is a very keen gardener, but he would always get frustrated with the soil around these parts. He's a carpenter, although I never saw any wood. Always had muscle problems, I see him in the pharmacy all the time."

Claudia nodded, having a look at what Simon was writing down in his notepad. She smiled at the old woman, trying desperately to get an ID on Hanson. "Does Hanks go away a lot? On trips?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, he's always away. I don't know why he even lives there if he is away so much. He is here solidly during the spring and around Christmas time. He's always here for a few weeks during the summer, but seems to go back before the children do."

"School times," Riley whispered. "Hunting his prey."

"Did you see him this summer?"

She poured them another cup of tea, although Claudia waved off. She wasn't interested in the tea; she was interested in the woman's information. The woman finally realised this, realised something exciting was happening and her eyes sparkled.

"He has been here quite a few times, getting quite a lot of his medication actually. I always said hello, but he always seemed consumed. Apparently he was working hard on a project, and his muscles were aching more than usual. There were never lights on at his place, but you could always tell when he was in as there's a car in the driveway."

Simon dunked his biscuit in his tea, grinning unimaginably. They had found out who Hanson was! He was excited, they could tell the Captain and then all of this horror would be over. He turned to the woman. "You wouldn't happen to have the dates for when he's been here, would you?"

She presented them with a book from her desk. "All the dates he's been here over the last seven years. I never liked the look of that man. I have a photo too, if that would help. He came to one of our barbecues, just one, before my husband left us of Cancer. He got very annoyed that I took the picture, asked me to rip up the negative. I posted him the negative and he seemed happy with that, but I kept the picture."

After digging around in her photo albums, the old woman gave them the picture, and the dates. Riley took her name, and the group prepared to head out. They had Hanson. They _had _him. "Thank you very much Eve, you've most likely saved a life today."

She looked confused as they headed out, but they were on a roll. Time to call home.

X

"Hey," Andy said as Brenda came out of his room for breakfast. She waved to him as she sat down at the table. It felt awkward. Probably less awkward had they actually slept together, although at least as the old saying went they would have had a good night.

"Morning." She smiled. "Thank you, for last night. I just needed a friend, someone to help me out. Talk. Just be there in a way no one else could."

"It's fine, we are friends." Andy's hand trembled as he finished his thought. "Once this is all over, maybe we can discuss whether or not that changes."

Brenda reached over and kissed him on the lips, stroking his cheek. "I'd like that. I really would." She grinned.

Andy had been out early that morning for food, and placed a bottle of syrup in front of her to make her coffee. He turned to making the eggs and toast, and Brenda beamed. She wouldn't tell him yet, she wasn't sure herself. But Andy had been there for her in a way no other man had been. He gave her space and kept her close at the same time. He fully embraced what she was like, and loved her ever more for it. In the bright light of day, she realised she had fallen in love with Andy Flynn. She had made her choice.

He offered to drive her to work, but she declined, deciding to take a cab. Andy watched her go before he fiddled around with his own keys. It was going to be a long day, and by the end of it they could have a killer, and a new Chief.

"Lieutenant Flynn?"

He looked up to see Professor Hadley standing there, looking awkward in the neighbourhood. The professor smiled at him, before moving over to shake his hand again. He wondered what he was doing outside his apartment building.

"Sorry to disturb you, I was looking for Captain Raydor. I…Tommy told me where she was living now, and I need to talk to her quite desperately. It's about Tommy - I tried talking to him this morning, and I fear I've made things worse. I just got so worried; he's an amazing young man and I don't want him to throw his life away. In this case quite literally."

Andy nodded, understanding what it was like to worry about something consuming someone so much it physically hurt to look at them. "I'm sorry, Sir, but Sharon isn't here. I think she's round Tommy's Dad's - I can tell you the address if you need it."

"That would be wonderful, thank you. I just…I need to talk to her, or Tommy's father or Tommy himself. I was so heavy handed, but I care about the boy."

The Lieutenant realised that Hadley would do whatever he could to protect Tommy, and decided to help the man out. He was in an exceptionally good mood anyway, Brenda and he were so close to being together, just a couple more days and they could be. But until then he had to keep an eye out on her, and everyone else at work. The young Pope was a good guy; he just needed to keep himself out of trouble, much like his father's girlfriend. He opened the door to his car.

"Come on, it's on the way. They'll still be there, if not I'll drop you off at the new LAPD headquarters."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You're a very honourable man."

Andy shrugged off the remark as he started the car; nothing could ruin his day now.

X

Will was in his office, staring at the picture of all three of his kids and Sharon. At the weekend they had taken a trip to the beach for a picnic and so Will could go surfing with his sons. Caitlin and Sharon had played on the beach, and spent the time talking about boys and music. A tourist had taken the picture of them, and he treasured it as he put it on his desk. Everyone within the frame looked so happy.

He kept checking the LA Times twitter feed [he had managed to work out how to use it after a crash course from Stephen]. No one had been announced as Chief yet, and he desperately wanted to know who was going to be working as his boss until he was fired. His kids had hugged him and wished him luck as they had gone off that morning, and he had plastered on a happy face until he had got inside the car with Sharon. It was going to be a hard day.

His phone rang, and he answered it. No doubt it was Brody calling to gloat, or Wendell offering his commiserations on the Delk win. "Hello?"

_"Will? It's Mayor Ford."_

Polite courtesy to say who had got the position. "Sir, it's a pleasure to hear from you. I assume you've made a decision?"

_"Yes I have. Could you come over, Will? I want to tell you this in person."_

"Of course sir. Be over as quick as I can."

He shut his computer and told his assistant he was heading over to see the Mayor. She started smiling at him, and it was only when Will got into the lift that he started to wonder why the Mayor was inviting him over. He wouldn't be telling any of the other candidates personally whether they had got through or not. He bypassed Major Crimes, knowing they would be busy with Claudia and Simon's latest call. He needed to do this by himself.

Outside, in the warm LA air, Will wondered if that was the last time he would be in the LAPD headquarters as Assistant Chief.

X

"_WE'VE GOT HIM!"_ came the crackling voice over the phone. As soon as they heard those fateful words, Sharon and Brenda rushed to the phone to talk to Claudia and Simon. In fact, everyone in the room fled to the phone to find the name of the man that had been haunting them for so long.

"Who is it, Simon? What's the name?" Brenda asked. Sharon looked around the room, wondering where Andy was. He should be there; he had been working the case long enough that he should be present for such a special moment. She would have to call him once they had a name, he had to be there for the arrest.

"_We got a name, but we think it's fake. In a town just outside of Asheville, this guy had muscle pains and came in every now and then for the pills. It was a small enough town that the people noticed when there was no one in the house, and the dates match up with the murders. We have a picture of the guy, sending it to you now_," Claudia said excitedly.

This was a very big day for everyone - within hours they could have the UCLA Killer in custody. Brenda looked up from the screen to see that Fritz had come in with Charlie - she had talked about coming in to see her Aunt. She couldn't look at Fritz, not now she had made her decision.

Everyone wished Tao's internet would go faster, but soon enough he had the picture of the man who had murdered nineteen girls, and countless others. "Here we go."

Tao clicked on the picture, and everyone gathered around the screen as they looked at the image of the UCLA Killer. Sharon closed her eyes, trying to savour the moment of finding out the new identity of Eddie Hanson. She opened her eyes and looked at the picture. Her heart stopped for a single moment.

"That's not right. That can't be right." She backed away from the computer screen. Everyone turned to give her room, not sure what she was upset about. Brenda turned to look at Sharon, confused.

"Captain, do you know this man?"

"I talked to him yesterday," Sharon whispered. "That's Eric Hadley, Tommy's lecturer at UCLA."

Sharon froze. Tony and Gabriel helped her to a seat. She could barely stand. The man she had talked to yesterday morning, who she had asked to keep an eye on Tommy had been killing young girls, had threatened the life of her and her unborn daughter. Brenda turned immediately to her niece, digging her hands into her arms.

"Have you ever met the professor that teaches Tommy, Professor Hadley?"

Charlie shook her head, growing paler by the second. "No, I've never met him. But Tommy texted me this morning, he's there now. Hadley wanted to see him about his investigation of the UCLA Killer."

Brenda shook her head, putting Charlie in a seat. "You stay here; you stay here and don't move. Everything is going to be okay."

Charlie started to cry, and her uncle had to comfort her. The entire team was silent. Sharon put her head to the table. She had seen and talked to Hanson countless times. Had let Tommy spend time with him, thinking that it would help him move on from his issues with seeing the bodies of two dead girls. But it had all been a part of Hanson's twisted little game, a trap she had fallen straight into.

The phone started to ring, and Sharon kept her head to the table. "Answer it, Claudia and Simon will be worried."

Tony shook his head, staring at the phone. "It's the other line, Captain. Claudia and Simon are still on the phone."

Sharon moved her head up from the desk, looking at the ringing phone. Brenda looked up from comforting her niece to the team. "Fritz, take Charlie and get her some water." She moved over to the table, and watched as the FID Captain answered it, pressing the button for speakerphone.

"LAPD, Major Crimes. How can we help?"

_"Hello Sharon."_

She recognised the voice instantly. There was no way it could be anyone else. He had come to gloat, had to come to bargain with Tommy's life. "What do you want Eric?"

_"I was wondering how long you'd take to figure it out, to be honest Sharon. I thought that keen detective mind of yours would have noticed the same initials. I think what really saved me was the idea that I could never do it again, that I couldn't be a lecturer and kill again. But it's possible, certainly made life easier."_

She shook her head, focussing on what was important. "Where is my son, Hanson? What have you done with Tommy?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. _"Really shouldn't be Tommy you're worried about. I've got another guest at my party. Say hello, Andy."_

Brenda lifted her head from her hands, looking at the phone. The team turned around in horror as they heard the screams on the other end of the phone, screams that undoubtedly belonged to Andy Flynn. Provenza put a hand on Brenda's shoulder, who had started to cry. Sharon was staring at the phone, completely frozen in shock.

_"I'm going to make things very clear for you. I'm not going to harm Tommy; I'm not going to lay a hand on his precious head. That can't be the same for dear Andy, Sharon. You have three hours to track me down and find me, and join our little party. Otherwise, every hour when I call to check up on you, I'll hurt him some more."_ There was a wrenching sound, and the sound of Andy screaming filled the phone once again. Taylor came in, staring at horror. Brenda was inconsolable, her face stained with heavy tears."

Sharon rested her palms against the desk, staring at the phone with intense hatred. "And what if I can't find you? Or decide fuck it; I won't play your twisted game."

Hanson seemed to consider her words. _"Then at the end of the three hours, I'll leave Andy's mutilated corpse on Chief Johnson's bed, a final resting place for the lovesick Lieutenant. Three hours, Sharon. Don't be late. This is what you've been waiting for. Let's finish the game, eh?"_

The loud dial tone echoed in the Major Crimes murder room, the only sound apart from Brenda Leigh Johnson's tears.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

_LA Times, 1__st__ September 2010 [page 1]_

_In our continuing coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews takes us through what is happening on the last day of this exhilarating race for Chief:_

_Well the day has come upon us. By this afternoon, we shall know who the new Chief of Police is. The officers of the LAPD can see one of their own elevated to one of the highest and most well paid jobs in this city. We know who the candidates are; we know who is likely to be the best choice. In a supplement to this edition of the LA Times, there is a complete Q and A with the candidates about their policies as Chief of Police Here are some highlights of what you can expect to find from our candidates: _

_RA: So, it's been asked about the hiring process for the LAPD. Is it true you're looking for more ethnic minorities, women and gay men so you can get your diversity rates up? What's your take on this?_

_JB [Julian Brody]: I think that the LAPD is a varied place for people to work, and we are trying to look for more people of all walks of life to come and be part of the LAPD. We gain strength from diversity. _

_TD [Tommy Delk]: I agree with Julian. We gain strength from diversity, our world changes with each new person we interact and work with. Our new motto is 'No Divisions' and we're more like that then ever. We're not turning away people who don't match these ideals; we're just trying to refocus the LAPD. _

_RA: Chief Pope? What are your thoughts on this? _

_WP [Will Pope]: I think that it doesn't matter who the LAPD hires, as long as its people that the public trust. People get too worked up with labels, when they mean nothing. It doesn't matter where you're from, whether it be from the wrong side of the tracks in New York or uptown Atlanta. Everyone is here for a reason. We're a family, with bonds stronger than anyone could ever imagine. When someone is in trouble, we go to help. That's what families do, and that's what we are. A varied, multicultural and multi talented family. _

_I've given them your hard questions, and log on later to our Twitter Feed to know who the new Chief of the LAPD is. Thank you for joining us on this amazing journey at the LA Times, and we hope that the candidate that most deserves to run the LAPD will change this city's police department for the better. _

X

Brenda stared mutely in the corner of her office, not sure what she was even doing. All she could hear was the sound of Andy's screams in her mind; all she could focus on was the idea that she would lose him when she had just decided she wanted him. Her team were outside, trying to piece together the case. Sharon Raydor was staring out the window, also not saying anything.

"You called Tommy your son. He's not your son, not even your step son," Brenda blurted out, hating the silence.

Sharon shrugged her shoulders. "Blood doesn't come into it: I consider him my son, that's all there is to it. Do you want to talk about why you're crying your heart out for a man that isn't your husband?"

Brenda decided that the silence would be better than whatever conversation she could generate with Captain Raydor. The two women continued on in silence, trying to work out a plan of attack for dealing with Hanson. But neither woman could think clearly, both were thinking about someone else in danger.

"Okay, this is getting us nowhere," Sharon broke her gaze from the window. "I think there is one thing we can both agree on, though, and that's that Will cannot know what is going on here."

Brenda looked up at the Captain, nodding. "Agreed. If he knew he'd want to do something and he needs to focus on this whole Chief thing."

"He's not got the job," Sharon admitted, turning back to the window.

The Southern blonde moved up from her chair and turned to Sharon, trying to see if she could gain any idea about what she was thinking, but her eyes were dark. "How do you know that, huh? The idea that Will could be Chief is the only positive thing that we've got going for us. Are you suddenly psychic, Captain Raydor?

Sharon scoffed and turned to Brenda with a look of despair on her face. "I know he hasn't got the job because he got offered the job last week and he turned it down."

"Why?"

"Because he didn't want to have to change our relationship, he didn't want me to give up FID! He didn't tell you because he knew you wouldn't understand giving up on a job for someone you love."

The hurt on Brenda's face was obvious, but Sharon shook it off. She needed to focus if she was going to get her family back. The blonde stood up and looked at the brunette. "I know what it's like to want to throw out every single protocol and rip apart the world looking for someone. Is that love, because it sure sounds like it to me!"

"Therein lies the problem. We need to treat this like every other case, because being emotional is not helping. He's torturing Andy, he has my son. Future possible stepson, sorry, didn't want to overcomplicate things."

Brenda rolled her eyes, sitting back in her chair. She wasn't sure what to do. She was in charge, she was the person of rank but she was weakened by this case. She needed Andy to help her focus, and he wasn't there. "I'll talk to Stephen, ask him to keep Will busy. You never know, every other candidate might turn down the job or get injured, so Will has to take it on."

Sharon smiled at the thought. "Well stranger things have been known to happen. I got together with Will, you and Andy seem to be having some sort of weird Romeo and Juliet thing."

"Now why did you have to go and say that; they both die!"

"I think Tony and Provenza have gone to check on Hadley's house. I'll take a Uniform and look over my place, see if there are any clues about where he took Andy. Hanson broke into our house a while back - he took some photographs of mine, I want to see what he took." Sharon looked down at her feet before reaching over and holding Brenda's hand. "We will get him back, I promise you. I owe Andy my life, and I don't like leaving debts."

Brenda gripped her hand back, happy to have someone who understood the pain that was ripping through her heart.

X

They got the information about Hadley from Tao's search, and Tony and Provenza headed off to search for his house. Tony wanted to keep an eye on Provenza; the older detective was pale as a sheet upon hearing his partner's screams and he wanted to make sure the man didn't do anything stupid. Tony was in no better state if he was honest - his hands were shaking with fear. He knew his Captain and knew before long she would be out searching for Hanson. He just hoped that they could figure out where he was before she did so.

"Here's the place," Tony announced as they found the small house that Hanson owned in his role as Eric Hadley. A street over from his old house as Eddie Hanson. They had been played completely.

Provenza knocked on the door, not expecting a response. "Wouldn't it be good if he was home?"

Tony chuckled before kicking in the front door and pasting the warrant to the wall. Gun out in front, the two detectives started to clear the house. There was no one downstairs, so they headed upstairs to see if Hanson had left anything. The first bedroom was clear, as was the bathroom. The second bedroom was also clear - clear of life. It looked like no one had stayed there in quite some time.

"I'm Eddie Hanson," Tony pondered. "I prove how smart I am by doing exactly the same thing I did last time, with the exact same detectives. What if I decided to hide in exactly the same way?"

Provenza thought it over, before pulling down the handle that opened the attic space above them. "I think we may have found Hanson's secret hideout."

A ladder descended for them, and Tony went up first, looking around. Thankfully there was a light switch, and he called Provenza up when he was sure there was no one there. Just like at the previous house with the graveyard, the attic proved fruitful of evidence. A camp bed was on the floor, obviously where Hanson had been sleeping. There were fresh photos of all the new victims, and a whole wall dedicated to photographs of Tommy.

"I don't like this; I don't like this at all."

Provenza called Tony over to him. "Well Eric Hadley was married, to a very pretty young brunette." He passed over the picture of the woman, who could be the twin of Captain Raydor. Tony began to feel sick. "They got divorced six years ago, probably all hush hush so he could continue his alibi as a happily married man. Hell, he probably just killed her. I think he's done that to every other woman he's come across."

"Everyone except the Captain."

They talked to a few of the neighbours, trying to get a picture of what Eric Hadley had been like. Quiet, kept to himself. A keen gardener. Before they went back to the LAPD headquarters, Tony sent a couple of detectives with a forensic team to take the house and garden apart. He just hoped they didn't find any more girls.

Back in the Major Crimes Murder Room, Provenza sat by himself, looking at the floor. Brenda was going over what they knew, finally having the energy to do so. Sharon was nowhere to be found. Claudia and Simon were on the next flight back to Los Angeles, even though they all knew that by the time they made it back, the situation would have resolved itself. But Tony felt better knowing they would be there soon.

"Okay so Eric Hadley AKA Eddie Hanson. What do we know; what have we found out?"

Tony raised his hand. "Eric Hadley was married to a pretty little thing called Sharon Montgomery. She looks like the Captain as well. Police filed two domestic abuse charges against him, but nothing ever came about it because she didn't want to press charges. They divorced some years ago, so I think she's a replacement figure."

"For Captain Raydor? Or for his first wife, Amelia?"

"Amelia is also brunette, also got green eyes and is pretty tall," Tony mused. "My guess, Chief, is that the reason why he likes the Captain so much is that he reminds her of his first wife. Maybe he sees Andy as a young him, I don't know. But judging from the amount of personal photographs of Tommy Pope he has up in his home, he's definitely seeing him as a replacement for the son he didn't get with Amelia."

Brenda nodded, adding that to the board. "That would make sense; he's not going to harm Tommy. Just…Flynn." She stopped for a moment until Provenza reached over and squeezed her shoulder. She smiled at him. "Hanson called Sharon at the memorial service, so he had to get her number."

"I think Tommy Pope has been an unwilling accomplice in these events. He's been working with Hanson regularly to get ready for the start of the term - Hanson could have stolen or asked to borrow his phone, taking the new number with him," Tao explained. "I'll do a dump on Tommy's number; see what other numbers Hanson may have taken."

Brenda nodded. They were getting the background on the case, which was what they wanted. But they had to do more than look backward; they had to look forward as well. They were almost coming up to the hour mark again, and Hanson would call. All they had done was secure that he was their guy in the mind of the DA with physical evidence.

"Where would he take them? That's the question."

"He likes houses." The team looked up to see Sharon Raydor enter. She looked pale, and she had changed into casual clothes. Every eye was on her as she came into the room. She was ready to go meet Hanson if it came down to that. "He has a house as Eddie Hanson; he has a house as Eric Hadley. He has a house as Earl Hanks in North Carolina. He's taken them to another house, I bet you. He'd been planning this for a while, it won't be a new purchase but it'll be rented."

Brenda nodded at the information, grateful that the FID Captain had returned from searching her home. She turned to the remains of her team. "Okay, I need everyone here to run through all the property records of Los Angeles. Residential areas seem to be his favourite, search around the area where the other two houses are would be best. I want anyone male, who lives alone and rents. Preferably with the initials EH, but search outward on this. He's smart; he may throw us a curveball here."

Sharon moved towards a computer terminal and started to look up places. Once everyone had a purpose, the Chief joined her side.

"You get what you needed from your place?"

She nodded. "I know what photographs he took."

"What ones?"

Sharon's hands shook lightly, before placing them underneath her desk. "Old ones, of me as a teenager. He's leading me towards a contact; I'll set up a meeting and see if I can get an address for us. I'll go after the next phone call."

Brenda nodded. "Do what you need to do, Sharon." The blonde stood up, before turning back to her. "It's been an honour to work with you on this case, Captain, and your squad. Fine officers, all of you."

Sharon struggled to contain the tears as Brenda moved away. The team searched through property records, trying to find something but there were so many houses and places in the LA area. Tony and Sanchez were checking through censuses to see if he had registered himself as Eric Hadley and Earl Hanks so they could use that as a method of finding him. Everyone was consumed and happy they had a task to work with.

The phone began to ring.

Everyone looked at the phone like it was a live animal, going to bite any one of them in a heartbeat. Brenda nodded towards Sharon - it was her phone call to take. Fritz entered the room, hearing the phone go and wanting to see what was going on. He stood on the fringes, just watching his wife. Everyone in the room was still as Sharon clicked the answer button.

"LAPD, Major Crimes."

The sound of Andy screaming punctuated the phone call. Brenda's cool slipped for a moment, and she shivered. Tony had to grip onto her to stop her doing something reckless. _"Calm down Andy, my god he's such a screamer. But I'm sure you already know that, don't you Chief Johnson? Or…maybe you don't. Any closer to finding out where I've stashed them?"_

"I'm sorry, sir; I think you're with the wrong department. I'm going to transfer you over to Property at Parker Centre, and I'm sure they'll be able to help you out with your little problem. Thank you, have a lovely day now."

Sharon ended the call, weighing up her options. Adrenaline was pumping through her, and she was desperate to provoke a response. She knew men like Eddie Hanson - knew in fact Eddie Hanson. They were cool to a point, and when someone challenged them they broke down. She was going to push him and push him until he faltered. She looked over to see Brenda in tears.

"It'll be okay, I promise you. I know what I'm doing."

The phone started to ring again. Sharon let it ring for a couple more rings, while everyone else in the room was on tenterhooks. She finally pressed the receive button. "Hello LAPD, Major Crimes."

More screaming could be heard over the phone, this time wilder and more vicious before - filled with Andy cursing and praying. _"I've just broken every finger on his right hand, Sharon. You hang up on me again, Sharon, and I won't give you the time to play my game. I'll kill him right now."_

Tony and Provenza had to move Brenda to a seat. Sharon looked to see that Fritz had left the room, disgusted. She turned back to the phone. "Fine, kill him."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. _"Is that your final answer, Sharon?"_

"What do you want to hear, Eddie? How when I find you I'm going to rip your guts out for hurting Andy and for even daring to touch a hair on my son's head? Emotion isn't going to get us anywhere, is it? So let me tell you this - you have your fun, Hanson. You keep breaking Andy's fingers and you keep cutting up his stomach but hear this. When I find you, and I will, whether it be within your little game plan or whether it be years from now, I will arrest you and hold you accountable for every precious life you have taken." She paused, smiling.

_"Oh wow, guess we've come to the part where our heroine gives us the empowering speech about truth, justice and the American way. Well you know what; I don't want to do this part of the story anymore, Sharon. Two hours, find me or he dies."_

"I'm sorry; we're running out of minutes for this call. See you in an hour."

She ended the call, and Hanson didn't call back. Two hours left.

X

Fritz was waiting in the break room, looking at his hands. His wife was crying over Andy Flynn, completely distraught at what was happening to him. He had lost her. She was going to leave him. He took another sip of his coffee. Willie Rae and Clay Johnson sat in the corner with Charlie, trying to comfort her. They were banned from the murder room; Brenda didn't want them to have to hear what Hanson was doing.

Someone sat down in front of him, and Fritz looked up to see Sharon Raydor. He smiled weakly at her. "I'm sorry about Flynn, despite him stealing my wife I don't want him to get tortured."

She nodded, offering a sympathetic smile. "Thank you. Listen, you may know that Hanson has a little game of Mousetrap in the mix, he wants me to go after him, wants me to track him down. He threw me a bone in how to find the address he's at." Fritz looked intrigued. "Hanson broke into mine and Andy's place, and he took some photographs. I finally figured out what those photographs were. They're of me and Sam, when we were younger. I burned most of them, but I kept a couple."

Fritz wasn't sure where she was going with this. "So he and Sam Broker are in this together?"

Sharon smiled faintly and shook her head. "No, he's not. But I know that Sam Broker leases property, and that we'd have to go to him directly to get the paperwork. Hanson is in one of his houses, and I need Sam to tell me which one it is. I have tried to move on from that man for decades now, so I need you to tell me where Sam spends his days."

Fritz shook his head, gripping the table hard with his hands. "No. He'll kill you, or he'll do something worse than Hanson. I'm not telling you where he is so you and my wife can go chasing after Hanson and get yourself killed. You're pregnant, how can you be so reckless with your baby's life?"

The Johnsons looked up and Sharon gave them a slight wave. She rested her hand on her rounded stomach, smiling at her daughter. "She was conceived Valentine's Day weekend, Fritz. She and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Andy Flynn. I owe it to him to try and do whatever I can to save his life. If that risks mine in the process, then so be it. But I have to try."

"He has Pope's son as well. You really love those kids, don't you?"

"I consider them my own, Fritz. I'm trying not to think about how he has Tommy, because then I think that I might do something reckless. Like kill him."

He smiled faintly and took out a piece of paper. Fritz wrote the address of the hotel where Broker could be found and handed it over. He shivered as he did so, knowing that this would all end in tears, or worse with her in a box. She thanked him, taking the piece of paper and putting it in her pocket.

"Don't tell Pope I gave you that. He'll kill me."

"Thank you, Fritz. I know that your marriage is on pretty shaky ground, but you're a brilliant FBI Agent. Thank you."

She kissed him on the cheek and turned out of the break room, heading straight to the lifts. She avoided eye contact with anyone, knowing that if she saw anyone she would turn around and stay at the LAPD instead of going where she needed to in order to find Broker. She made it to the lifts and pressed the button. Just as the lift doors closed, Tony put his arm in between them and entered.

"I don't know what you're doing, I hope it's something sensible but considering we're part of FID I'm going to guess it's something stupid. But I'm here if you need me, Captain. As the second in command of FID, I fully offer my services to go do something completely stupid."

Sharon shook her head, smiling. She didn't want to go see Broker alone, she needed a friend. And that friend was Tony Williams. "Okay then, Lieutenant. Let's go do something stupid in the name of the LAPD."

Tony clung onto her hand as they moved down in the lift, knowing that despite being stupid their mission would also be helpful. She was terrified, but she wasn't alone. She was never alone.

X

Will waited outside the office of Charlie Ford. He was nervous. Finally, he was allowed to go inside. He didn't see any of the other Chief candidates there, so he grew even more nervous when he sat down. Charlie smiled at him as he entered, shook his hand and offered him a glass of water. Almost exactly the same events as what happened the week before, when Will had turned down the job of being Chief of Police.

"You okay Will? You look a little pale."

"Just wondering why I'm here is all." Will wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers. "I turned the job down, I don't get why I'm back."

Charlie Ford sat down in front of him, resting his hands on his desk. He smiled at him. "I've made my choice, Will. After last week I wanted to put Delk in charge, but something Wendell said and your damn interview with the LA Times made me change my mind."

"How so?" Had the LA Times finally done something right for the LAPD?

"Wendell reminded me that above all, the LAPD is a family. It has no place for ambitious types; there is no place for people who don't work as a team. Despite the fact that you're sleeping with one of your own, Will, you have created a family. There were people holding a protest on your behalf, because they wanted to see you be Chief. I could put Delk in charge, true; he's really the only other candidate. But he's not a family man, you are. You'll hold up Wendell's plans and ideals and what made him a great Chief, but you'll also make the LAPD your own."

"I don't understand, Charlie, you're not making a lot of sense," Will wasn't sure whether he or Delk had the job, not until he said those words.

"I'm offering you the job Will. You're the best candidate, because you make everyone who works for you feel part of something. No strings, no conditions. The job is yours, just as you are, Will."

"I think you better give me something stronger than water, Charlie. Need to celebrate my new job!" Will exclaimed, and Charlie chuckled, moving towards his drinks cabinet.

After he had drunk a toast to the new regime with Charlie, Will went straight back across to the new LAPD headquarters. The first person he was going to tell was Sharon, and then Brenda and Stephen. He'd have to think of who would be his Assistant Chief. He'd have to think of a _speech! _In about an hour or so he'd have to stand up in front of a press conference and detail what he was going to do as Chief of the LAPD. He had never felt so excited in all his life, except for a few rare moments with Sharon.

As he got into the lift, smiling his ass off, Julian Brody joined him. The other Assistant Chief smiled at him, but Will was wary. He didn't trust Julian as far as he could throw him. "You okay, Will? Just saw you coming back from City Hall. I take it congratulations are in order?"

Will nodded, grinning. "Yes they are!" He offered his hand to Brody. "I'm sorry, Brody. Just to let you know, I don't plan to fire you. We've had our problems, but I'm not going to start any mass firings. You're good at your job."

Brody smirked, and Will realised that he had made a mistake in trying to build bridges with the man. "Well it's a good day for you all round, isn't it? You get to be Chief _and_ you get to announce that you've found the UCLA Killer as well!"

"We have?"

The other Assistant Chief tilted his head, his eyes taking on an almost snake like quality. "Well, found I guess is a little premature. Major Crimes knows who he is, just not where he is. And of course who he is with."

Will had a bad feeling about Brody's words, and the good feeling started to evaporate in his stomach. "Who is he with?"

The door opened on Brody's floor. "Andy Flynn and your son. You should really keep more informed, Will."

The lift couldn't go any faster, no matter how hard he hit the walls. As soon as it hit the Major Crimes floor, Will ran to their Murder Room. Time seemed to slow down. It couldn't be true - he'd go inside and see Sharon and Andy talking to Tommy, making calls about where the killer was, or maybe overlooking Brenda's interview with him as they closed their case.

He headed into the room and looked at the sad detectives all around. He caught Brenda's eye as he entered the room. There was no sign of Flynn, no sign of Sharon. No sign of his son. Brenda made her way over to him, reaching for his hand.

"Will." She could see from the look in his face that he already knew. "Will, I'm so sorry."

He didn't do anything else, just collapsed to his knees and started to weep. Brenda clung onto his neck, holding onto him. "Where's Sharon?" Will asked Brenda once his voice had returned, wanting to know where she was. He needed her at that moment, needed her to tell him it was all going to be okay.

Brenda shook her head. "She's gone to track down a lead about finding Hanson. I'm so sorry, Will."

The two old friends held onto each other, no longer crying but clutching on for some semblance of reality as it burned around them. The other detectives looked away, not wanting to view the grief of a man who knew his son wouldn't return to him.

X

They were waiting outside the hotel where Broker was. Sharon looked to her phone where Will was trying to call her again and again. She didn't answer, knowing one word from him would change her mind. She needed to do this. She needed to bring Tommy back to Will, and the only way she knew that was to get the information from Broker. Hanson was leading her along the journey, but as long as she followed the breadcrumbs she could easily push the Serial Killer into the oven at the house.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sharon? I can turn the car around, we can keep looking. Someone else can go in to talk to Broker; it doesn't have to be you."

"For the time scale, it needs to be. He'll do it quickly for me, even after all these years he still loves me."

"Is obsessed with you," Tony pointed out. He reached over and grabbed her hand. She had changed out of her casual clothes and into a summer dress with her hair down. She was on show for him, but it helped her distract from the fact that this would be the first time she had talked to Sam since he had made her miscarry their son.

Sharon opened the car door and looked towards the hotel. "Okay, let's do this. If I'm not out in twenty minutes, Tony, call Agent Howard and come in after me."

He watched her walk in sandals across the car park towards the hotel. She looked thin and waif like, the floating material of her dress hiding her baby bump. Tony was not a man for prayer, but he whispered something as he watched her cross over the road.

Inside the hotel, Sharon started to shake. She didn't look completely out of place - she was carrying a small purse and had a wrap around her shoulders. She could almost be going on a date. Looking around she spotted a slightly elevated area of the hotel bar where she recognised Sam sitting down. She had seen him briefly in January, but she hadn't looked at him for long. His hair had turned grey; his stocky form had filled out. She looked at his hands as he waved them about. They could be gentle, but the scars on her back grew white hot as she remembered that they could also be something else.

"Miss, may I help you?" asked one of the hotel staff.

She nodded. "I'm here to see Sam Broker. Could you tell him that Sharon Raydor would like to talk to him?"

"Certainly. Wait right here."

The man went up to the Broker party, declaring her intentions to talk to Sam Broker. He looked amused that the man was talking to him, but then his face grew serious when he gave him her name. He looked over across the hotel floor, and his face split open into a smile. He left the bar area, gave the man a tip and headed over to see her. Eventually they were standing face to face for the first time in decades.

"Sharon."

"Hello Sam."

He moved for a hug but she took a step back. He nodded, understanding why she would do so. "Let's sit." Sam offered her his arm, and she took it - she needed him onside. He beamed like a lighthouse, and she tried to stop herself from shaking. The rest of his staff left them, and she recognised a few faces from years ago. Quickly it was just the two of them. He ordered a whiskey on the rocks, and she asked for a glass of water, even though a glass of alcohol would steady her nerves quite nicely.

"This is certainly a surprise. A good one, but a surprise nevertheless. I was pleased to help find the man who framed your father, in January. The detective I spoke to said you were in New York, but of course this entire summer has been talking about returned LAPD officer Captain Sharon Raydor. You've been in LA all these years and I never even knew."

"Well when we divorced I took you off my Christmas card list."

He chuckled. "Ever the wit. You look good, Sharon. Despite…everything. I heard about your rape. I would have killed that man with my bare hands for touching you."

Sharon didn't know what to say. She was still in shock, and the openness with which he discussed Jimmy made her want to throw up. She took a sip of water. "Sam, a friend of mine is in danger. One of your houses that you lease has been rented by a serial killer with the initials EH. My friend is there, I need the address."

"All these years, and you need my help? Why should I help you?"

She smirked. "You can have anything you want, Sam. Money is not an object."

"Not especially with your richy rich brother. What if I wanted one night of us together in exchange for this?"

"If I wanted to be raped again, I'd have stopped Andy from shooting Jimmy."

Sam moved like lightening and had her pinned against the chair. Her heart started beating wildly, and Sam closed his eyes, leaning in to kiss her on the mouth. The kiss was gentle, loving. Sharon wanted to throw up, her body frozen in fear. He moved back, amused as he sat in his chair.

"I'll find the place for you, and we can talk later about how you can pay me back. You can stay here and we could catch up, or I can call you with the details. Your choice, of course. You taste so sweet, Sharon, just like old times. How quick do you need the information?"

"Within half an hour, if you can. I need to find him soon. Thank you, Sam, for doing this." He smiled at her, looking over her dishevelled and scared state with arousal. Her eyes flicked black for a moment. "I was sorry to hear about your wife, must be so awful to be a widower four times over."

"Three. You're still alive, Sharon."

She bowed her head, looking out the hotel doors to where Tony could see them. He was out of his car, his hand buried in his jacket for his gun. Sharon turned around to see Sam. She raised her hand to stroke his cheek, run her fingers over his lips. She remembered the good times with him, the happy times where they had been together. And then, of course, there had been the times where he had brutalised her so badly she had wished to end it all.

"See you around, Sam."

She gave him the number of a payphone close to where Hanson's old house was. She had a feeling it would be in the same locale, but without getting access to his records, she wasn't sure. Waving goodbye she walked out of the hotel, feeling dirty. Closing her eyes she felt her baby daughter kick, reminding her that sometimes the harshest things turned out to be blessings.

X

Will was trying to be calm and collected in Brenda's office, but he just felt like throwing up. Brenda was trying to comfort him, but it wasn't working. He realised he would need to call Jean at some point, explain once again that their son was in trouble and in mortal danger. How would he explain the murder of their brother to his other children, he did not know. As he stuck his head between his legs, Brenda was trying to explain about Hadley, much to Will's disgust. She had decided to just speak words of comfort instead of words of action when she heard something coming from the Murder Room.

The phone was ringing.

She looked at the clock and realised that it was time for another phone call and Captain Raydor had not yet returned from getting her tip. Grabbing Will's hand, she moved into the Murder Room. The team was diminished; there was only Provenza, Gabriel, Tao and Sanchez there. Brenda moved over and pressed the button to accept the call.

"LAPD, Major Crimes."

_"Chief Johnson, so lovely to hear your voice. Aww Brenda, Andy's started to smile. If it's not too much trouble, honey, I'd like to talk to Sharon please? Thank Yew!"_

"Captain Raydor isn't here at the moment, can I take a message?"

There was a clatter of something on the other end of the phone. _"What do you mean she isn't there?" _Hanson sounded surprised, and Brenda grew worried. Something Hanson hadn't anticipated for was happening; maybe Sharon was supposed to be around for the second hour. "_WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?"_

"I think she went out to get some coffee."

Will rested his hand atop Brenda's and turned to the phone. "Hanson, what have you done with my son?"

Hanson chuckled. _"It's okay, Will, don't worry. Your son will be safe with me, I can promise you that. But if little Sharon Elizabeth isn't there, then she must have figured out my clue. I'd be more worried about her, Will. I mean her ex husband is a vicious psychopath, but she _likes _that. Maybe she's gone to a real man, one who can beat her around the way she likes to get her panties wet."_

Brenda and Taylor had to physically restrain Will from ripping the phone out of its wiring. There was the sound of breaking bone, and Andy screaming could be heard again. _"If she's not here with me by the time I decide to call again, and she's not with you, then we're going to have a very big problem. I don't know what to do about this, there's no one I want to talk to. Maybe I should work on the other arm?"_

The sound of another break echoed in the room, as did Andy's screams for Brenda. She started to cry again, and Will held onto her. Hanson was playing with them. "Talk to you soon, Hanson," Taylor rang off before pressing the end button. They were in a lot of trouble. Everyone hoped that Sharon returned soon.

X

They had driven to the place where the phone booth was, and waited in the car for it to ring. Tony had gone off to get some food for them both, and passed her a sandwich and packet of crisps to give her something to do while they waited. They ate in silence, all the while looking at the pay phone that would ring with Broker's call.

"Thought about names, yet?" Tony asked, trying to make conversation.

Sharon shook her head. She didn't really want to talk about that while waiting for the call that could save Andy and Tommy's life. She was trying to rationalise in her head what had to be done, whether everyone descending on the house was a good idea or whether it should just be her. She was growing scared, and realised that maybe talking about baby names would keep her mind off of it.

"I thought about Michaela, after my Dad. I was pregnant once before, though, and I called him Michael. Seems dishonest to him, if I call her Michaela."

Tony nodded, taking another bite of his sandwich. "Maybe you could name her after someone else you want to remember. Maybe one of the girls. Sarah?"

She pondered her stomach, wondering about the name Sarah. It was a beautiful name. She smiled. "Maybe."

"Or name her after someone on the team. Claudia, Brenda? I suppose you could turn every male name into a girl's name. Toni, for example." He winked. "You could still call her Michaela after Tao. I don't think you can turn Gabriel and Sanchez's names female. I hear Provenza's first name is Louis, so Louise. Wilhelmina, after her Daddy. Andie, after her Uncle Flynn."

Sharon smiled at that. "Andie Pope. I like the sound of that. Andie Michaela Pope."

Their discussion about baby names was halted when the phone started to ring. Sharon exhaled and got out of the car. It had to be done sooner rather than later. She answered the phone, and wrote down what Sam told her. She was shivering all the while, fearing what was to come. Thanking Sam once again, she hung up and moved over to Tony. She had a feeling that turning to Sam in her hour of need would come back to bite her, but she couldn't worry about that now. One psychopath at a time.

"We get the address?"

"Sam gave us two. One is a block and a half over; one is on the other side of town. We have an Eamon Heiss and an Elijah Hemmingway. You take one, I take the other?"

"Captain, it's likely that Hanson is in the address closest to the other two houses he's been in. I know you want to tackle Hanson and save Andy and Tommy, but please let me and a SWAT detail go to that address, while you go to the other? You don't have to be there for the arrest, as much as I know you want to be."

Sharon conceded, realising he was right. She'd only do something reckless if she was there. "Okay, go to the other address and bring them home. I'll check out the one across town, make sure he hasn't got another graveyard of women."

With a quick hug, they went their separate ways. Sharon started to drive off into the city, while Tony called base and said they had the address of Hanson and needed a full detail and a plan of how to go in and rescue their fellow officers.

Sharon drove for a while, reaching the house of the other address. She sat outside in her car and looked at the house. It was at the top of the hill, set a little apart from the rest of the houses by a long garden. The garden was immaculate, and Sharon felt a rush of fear go through her. As she looked up at the house, she could see that there was a large attic as well.

She pulled out the phone and scrolled to Tony's number. She wanted to call him, but all her evidence was based on architecture and a pretty garden. She could call for a SWAT back up like she should do, but she didn't make that call. Tony was right; she wanted to arrest Hanson herself. She wanted to end things finally on her terms. Making a decision, she found another number and pressed send.

_"Sharon? Sharon, where are you? Tony just called, he said you found the address and he's there now. Its nearly the three hours, we need to do this now before he calls again. You need to be back here, he wasn't happy that you weren't here before."_

"Will. I love you," Sharon was overcome by emotion sitting in the front seat of her car.

He laughed softly on the other end of the phone. _"I love you too, Sharon. Now come back to base, we need to end this."_

"Exactly. There's something about this house, Will, I think Tony has got the wrong house. I'm going to knock on the door and if it's a little old lady then I'll come home. But I need to see this through by myself, Will. If it is Hanson, then I need to see this through."

_"Sharon, don't do this babe. Don't go after him, it's what he wants."_

"I love you, Will. I love you and Tommy and Caitlin and Brendan more than life itself. I love our daughter, Will."

_"You sound like you're saying goodbye again. I thought we agreed no more goodbyes."_

"I'm trying to limit your goodbyes, Will. I need to go in there and check if it's Hanson by myself. You know I need to or he's going to leave with Tommy and leave Andy as a corpse - if I'm wrong then I'm wrong, but I feel right about this, Will. This is Hanson's house."

"_Sharon, think about this clearly. Call back up if you think Hanson is there; do not go in there by yourself!_ _Don't make me choose between you and my son, Sharon!"_

She smiled, tears streaming down her face. "You did once before, remember? And I was glad you did, I don't want you to bury your son, Will. I won't let you."

_"So I get to bury you and our unborn daughter, Sharon that isn't fair."_

She moved out from the car seat and brought out her gun. She had changed back into her casual clothes, ready for a fight if need be. She slammed the car door shut, locking it behind her. Sharon started walking up to the house in front of her, feeling with every step a sense of doom and accomplishment. Finally it was going to be over.

"Will, it's going to be okay. Do you want to know the words I said to Flynn the night I got stabbed, Will? I asked him to let me go. I wanted to die. I looked into the face of the abyss, and couldn't imagine any more pain."

_"Sharon."_

She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. "I'm looking into the abyss now, Will. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you and our family. I'll see you at home later. I love you."

She ended the call and waited for someone to open the door. She put her gun right out, aiming for a headshot. When no one opened the door, she started to see if she could open it herself. She didn't see Hanson until it was too late, and by then she had already fallen to the floor.

X

Will was clutching the phone in his hand. He was standing in the foyer of the LAPD building, ready and waiting to go out for the press conference to be Chief of LAPD. He felt sick. He had the job he wanted but his son and the woman he loved was in danger. Ever since Sharon's call he had grown worried - and neither she nor Tony were picking up. One of them had come across Eddie Hanson; he just hoped that whichever one it was they were okay.

"Hello Will. You ready to do this?" Wendell came up next to him, patting him on the shoulder. Will shook his head, his hands trembling.

"I don't know if I'm ready, or even if I'm the right person for this job. All I want to do, Wendell, is rush out and find my son."

Wendell held him close, unsure what to say to comfort the man. Their moment was broken as Charlie Ford entered and greeted both of them, slapping Will on the back. "Come on Will, time for your debut. I think everyone's already guessed it; they saw you coming out of City Hall earlier. It doesn't matter, though, they would have found out today anyway. It's time."

Will nodded and headed out to face the crowd. Just as he got to the doors, Major Crimes and Robbery Homicide rushed past. They were on their way to tracking down Eddie Hanson, and he wondered for a moment whether he should tell Brenda about Sharon's hunch. He caught her on the arm, spinning her into his orbit.

"Will, we've got the house. Tony's there now. You can be Chief, we've got Hanson. In a matter of minutes this horrible summer will all be over."

He nodded, holding onto her hand. "Sharon called me; she suspects that the other address they got tipped off about is where Hanson is. Can you just send units over there to make sure she's okay? I'm worried about her."

Brenda squeezed Will's hand. "I'll send units over there ASAP. But I think we've got him Will, your son and Andy are going to be alright." She reached over and hugged him, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Congratulations Will, you're Chief of Police. I'm so proud of you."

"Chief!"

She squeezed his hand once more as she left to go catch Eddie Hanson. Will hoped she was right and that Sharon was wrong. Wendell and Ford guided him outside, and the Mayor ascended the podium.

"We have had a difficult summer. The UCLA Killer has taken more lives than we ever dreaded, but we are close to wrapping that case up in a successful outcome. Today I bring you the new Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. There were many great candidates, but in the end there was only one in my mind who truly described what I wanted out of the LAPD. May I present to you the new Chief of the LAPD - Will Pope!"

He joined the Mayor in front of the cameras and raised his hand, waving to the crowd. His mind started to clear. He was Chief of the LAPD. He had a speech to give.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, valued LAPD officers. I could use this speech to declare what I intend to do with the Department, the cut backs and the changes. I have worked in the LAPD for twelve years, and have never had a Chief like Wendell Berrill. I intend to keep his way of working and his focus and make it stronger." He smiled, feeling energy run through him. "But I want to use this time to highlight something more important than the race for Chief. Major Crimes has isolated the UCLA Killer. As we speak, they are making their arrest."

The press flooded his ears with questions, but Will didn't know how to answer them. His voice and face were strong, but his eyes pleaded with the crowd to let him go and pray for his son and his lover.

X

Gabriel was driving the car with Sanchez and Tao in the back when her phone started to ring. Ever since Tony called, she had been given a new energy, and she was determined to use it for the best. She would save Andy from Hanson's grasp, and she would tell him that she loved him. The radio in the car told them that Pope was officially Chief, and the faith he had in all of them. She had never seen her detectives smile so much.

Brenda answered her phone, not recognising the number. "Hello?"

_"Close to an arrest, are we? I'm glad Will is Chief; this will make it so much better. Can just see the headlines tomorrow morning: 'New Chief of the LAPD's lover massacred by Serial Killer.' Not as poetic as usual, but it's still got a ring to it."_

"Hanson, don't do anything stupid, okay?"

_"Why would I do anything stupid, Brenda? I have what I want - I have Andy, I have Tommy, and now I have Sharon. She's sleeping at the moment, bless her. But by the time you get the address of where I am from Tony Boy Wonder, I'll have two dead bodies to add to my collection and a son. An heir to the family business." _He chuckled on his end of the phone._ "I'm always one step ahead, and you know why? Because you think too logically. You keep trying to see some grand plan, like I'm some evil genius, but I'm not. I like to keep things simple and yet elegant."_

Gabriel kept driving, although he knew something was up with his boss. Tao and Sanchez were listening in, Tao typing everything they could hear. Sanchez gripped onto her free hand, giving her strength.

"Let me talk to Andy? Please? Just one last time, I have something I need to say to him. Please give me that."

_"The Mayor made Will Chief because he's a family man. You're all one big family. You build bonds, you make friendships and relationships that last decades. It's your biggest fault, as well. If it had been anyone else except her stepson, then Sharon wouldn't have been so reckless. I never got my family; Amelia took all that away from me. But I get my family now, and like what I did with Amelia's, I'm going to kill them all."_

"Let me talk to Andy! Please!" Brenda screamed.

_"I think Andy's done enough talking for today, don't you?"_

The phone clicked off, and Hanson was gone. Gabriel turned around in the back seat, but Sanchez was already on the phone with Tony, finding out the other address. Once they had it, the entire battalion of cars changed direction to go to the other house. They all hoped it wasn't too late.

X

Sharon was groggy when she woke up. She couldn't remember what had happened, the last thing she recalled was going up to the house she suspected Hanson was staying in. She shifted her head and grimaced in pain as it exploded through her forehead. She focussed on where she was, and realised she was bound to a kitchen table. She was sitting against the wall, and she could see the open living room next door. To her right was a bound and gagged Andy Flynn, all the blood drained out of his face. To her left was a terrified Tommy Pope, also bound but not gagged. Across from her sat Hanson. They had dinner settings in front of them.

"You're awake, I'm glad. You know I didn't think you had it in you, to come here, to go to Broker and find out what you needed to. But you did, I'm very impressed."

She winced. "What are we doing here, Hanson?"

"Little family dinner, just a quick afternoon tea and drink before we get down to some light entertainment. And then Tommy and I are leaving. Venezuela, private charter. I can't wait, it's all set up. Very exciting!"

Hanson moved up and ungagged Andy. He ruffled his hair. "Poor boy. I've broken all his fingers in his right hand, and then his entire arm. And then his wrist on his left hand. Some minor cuts to his body and his face, of course. Was quite fun - I offered to let Tommy do a couple, but he turned me down, can you believe? A little squeamish. Of course I'll knock that right out of him."

Sharon kept calm while Hanson put a bottle of beer in front of her. He grinned, before frowning slightly as he realised his mistake. "Oh, I'm so sorry! You're pregnant, minor slip of the mind. How far are you along? By my calculations you're in your seventh month. About eighteen, nineteen weeks or so? Such a shame the poor baby girl won't be able to survive without you." He took a sip of his drink, and untied one of Tommy's hands so he could drink too. The boy was shaking too much to hold the glass. "Thought of names?"

"Andie. I'm going to call her Andie."

Hanson grabbed Flynn by the back of his neck roughly, causing him to scream out in pain. "Isn't that sweet, Andy? She's calling her baby girl after you. Probably because you saved her life while she was being stabbed and raped by that poor deluded little boy."

He sat back in his seat and took a bite out of the sandwich in front of him. "You know I've been following you both for some time, watching how you interacted. I must say both your rebellions in Robbery/Homicide were most amusing. You going off to FID to avenge your father's name and you going off to Priority Homicide because Taylor stabbed you in the back? Delicious. And when you two were against each other, I loved it."

He kept eating, and encouraged Tommy to do the same. The young boy took a bite out of his sandwich, and Hanson grinned sincerely, ruffling the boy's hair. "He's a good boy, Tommy. I knew it the minute I saw him, the minute he talked to me and explained why he wanted to work with me. And his essay? Incredible. He reminded me of you two, and me all wrapped up into one."

Sharon coughed; the house was heavy with dust. "Why did you start killing again, Hanson? Why not last year, or next?"

He shrugged and ate a few mouthfuls of his sandwich before answering her. "Bureaucracy. I couldn't kick Keighley's brother or indeed anyone else out of the Summer School, they'd earned their place. Killing Keighley meant that Tommy could join. I had to have him. And I hoped it would lead to your return, Jimmy Beattie's little actions brought you two closer than I could have ever imagined. Linked through one event, perfection." He smiled and took a sip of his drink. "Eat up now, Tommy. Long flight we've got to go through."

They ate in silence for a few moments. Hanson switched on the police scanner he had obtained and listened to the sound as the officers headed to the address they were currently at. Once Tommy had finished his lunch, Hanson took the plates away and put them in the kitchen sink. He then came back, and passed a beer to Andy.

"Oh god, I keep doing this! You're in AA. Well, not really anymore. After what you did, after what you saw - you poor man. Watching someone you're so close to getting stabbed. I'm so glad you didn't witness the actual rape, that would have been horrific for you." Hanson nodded, smiling at the Lieutenant. "You should know, Andy, that I'm not going to kill you. I'd love to, I'd love to leave your body in Brenda Leigh's bed with a rose in your mouth but there is a worse way to completely destroy your soul." He leaned over and whispered in Flynn's ear. "I'm going to rape her, and then I'm going to kill her. And you're going to watch, and there's nothing you can do. Just like last time."

Flynn started to struggle against his bonds, fresh pain ripping through him. Hanson put the gag back around him, and turned to Tommy in pity. "You've been feeling sorry for her, Tommy, when you didn't need to. You were feeling guilty about trying to kill yourself and your father leaving her with Jimmy. But you needn't have felt so guilty, Tommy. She's a little slut, everyone knows it."

Hanson jumped onto the table, kicking the plate of food into Sharon's lap. He then kicked the two beer bottles that had been placed, spraying glass all over the floor. She started to whimper. Hanson sat on the table next to her, smiling at her. He stroked her cheek.

"You see Tommy, Sharon is a very curious creature. She'll put her life on the line for anyone else; stick her neck out without caring about her own personal safety. She doesn't care a great deal about herself. She's self destructive - became a Cop, rides her bike like a lunatic. Attracts psychopaths that like to beat her around. You may think she's a cold hearted bitch, but that's only because there is no soul in that body. Just a dead heart."

He slid off the table and placed his hands on her shoulder blades. He dug in tight and she winced, trying not to let the pain show through. But Hanson just smiled. "She doesn't do fighting back. Not really. She uses her mouth and shouts a lot, but she's not a fighter. She runs, like everyone else in her family. Her Mommy ran away, her Daddy shot himself. She runs away from her past, she runs away from love. Instead of dealing with Jimmy Beattie, all she did was run away to London. Instead of confronting Sam about him beating her black and blue, all she did was run away to Wendell. When you went through some romantic issues with Tommy's Daddy, you ran, ran, ran away. It's time to stop running, now Sharon, and face your maker. Because he has a few words he'd like to share with you."

Hanson slapped her in the face, and forced her off the chair. He ripped off the bonds that held her onto the chair and forced her down to the ground. He slapped her again. Andy struggled and screamed, and Tommy looked on, horrified.

"No place to run now, Sharon. I wonder if being raped again and again means you like it, or if you just attract that sort of guy. Shall we find out?"

Hanson forced her to the ground once again, his hands digging into hers. She screamed loudly as he bit her on the neck, pressing her down. He reached for her belt, eager to get the process started. Sharon started to scream again, and Hanson rolled his eyes. One of his hands moved down to undo his own belt while holding her in place.

"So come on Sharon, tell me! What's it like to be a worthless little who-" His words were cut off as he felt liquid drip onto his fingers. He looked down to see that there was a hand near his stomach, Sharon's hand. She yanked out the piece of glass and kicked him onto the floor.

"You little bitch."

Hanson reached for her again, but Sharon used the jagged piece of glass to stab his hand. She stabbed his hand again and then his other hand. She hit his wrist, hitting the artery, spurting blood all over her. She used the same piece of glass to stab him in the stomach again and again, sinking her entire hand into the chest cavity she created. He kept trying to talk so she stabbed his throat.

"I'm not a whore, you psychopath."

She stabbed him again in the stomach until no more blood poured out of him. She dropped the piece of glass and slid as far away from the body as she could do. Hanson was dead; there was no doubt about that. As she looked on his body, she smiled faintly. It was finally over.

X

They managed to find the house where Sharon had gone to. Several ambulances, a SWAT team and the group of Major Crimes and Robbery Homicide descended on the street. When they got close enough so they could see the porch, they realised there were three forms waiting outside. The SWAT team wanted to go out first, but Tony and Brenda didn't give them a chance to. The paramedics joined them as they rushed forward.

As Brenda ran towards the figures, she saw Andy with his head on Sharon's shoulder, her body entirely covered in blood and Tommy supporting Andy. By their feet was the bloodied corpse of Eddie Hanson. She stopped a couple of feet away, just so happy to see Andy alive.

"Sorry Chief, I know I should have left him there. But I want to make sure he's dead. Would have decapitated him and buried him with some garlic but I thought that was overkill."

Together the group moved Andy onto the stretcher where he was given immediate medical attention. Brenda wanted to go with him, but Provenza joined him in the ambulance. She needed to be there, dealing with the situation. She would see Andy later, and she could then tell him her decision. The rest of Major Crimes descended on the crime scene, and Taylor and Mitchell came out to see what was going on.

"What happened, Captain?" Brenda asked, looking at the severely massacred corpse.

"He slapped me a couple of times; I'm going to have some bruising. He grabbed my wrists, they're very tender. He bit my neck so I'm going to have to get a tetanus shot or a rabies shot or some sort of shot. Then he tried to rape me. I couldn't let him do it. Son of a bitch was right though, I do run away from everything. Every time someone hurt me, I ran away inside my head. Every time there was something I couldn't deal with, I just ran. Not anymore though, not anymore." Sharon looked down at the corpse and smiled. "Shame there's not a FID division at the moment to investigate excessive use of force, huh?"

Sharon smiled as she hugged Tommy, who gripped onto her tight. She kissed his head, and smiled harder as she felt her baby daughter kick against her stomach. It was all over, and everyone had come out alive in various parts.

Brenda knelt down and looked at the body. The face was recognisable, but the body wasn't. There were quite a collection of stab wounds to his hands and face. The case was closed, although not in the way she wanted it at all. She wanted a conviction, a confession. Just something so she had all the answers, so she could look the parents of the girls in the eye and tell them that the monster that had killed their daughters would pay.

"Did you find out about why he took the hair? Did you find out why he started killing? Anything?"

"I found out some stuff, but not about the hair. Guess it'll just have to be one of those mysteries," Sharon smiled but she realised that Brenda didn't share it.

"He's dead, but we've got no justice for those girls. How can a corpse give the families closure?"

Sharon let go of Tommy and reached out for Brenda's hand. "Chief, you need to understand something. When you lose someone, if it truly resonates with you then you have to believe in some sort of afterlife, in the idea that they're happy and you'll see them again. Otherwise the grief becomes all consuming. It doesn't matter if its heaven or something else, just as long as it's something. With the good comes the bad. Eddie Hanson is burning in hell, Chief. A state cell and lawyers fighting over a case for months wouldn't give them justice or closure. Eternal damnation for the souls he took - that's what I call justice."

She reached for Tommy's hand as they left the body of Eddie Hanson and went towards an ambulance - she at least was in need of medical attention. Brenda looked towards them, sad.

"What if you don't believe in God, Captain?"

Sharon turned around, smiling. "Then nothingness is still eternal damnation compared to Earth. When you create death, you always underestimate the need for life. That was his mistake, underestimating just how much me and Andy wanted to live. Good work, Chief. I'll see you Monday. I'm going to take a well deserved break with the kids and the new Chief of Police."

Brenda chuckled as she watched the two depart and turned towards Hanson's body. As Tao, Tony, Sanchez and Gabriel gathered around her, she realised it was finally over. The UCLA Killer case was closed, and even though there was no confession, the knowledge that Eddie Hanson experienced the amount of pain he had inflicted on families and their daughters warmed her soul.

"I'm going to the hospital to check on Flynn," Brenda smiled. "Ask Commander Taylor to talk to the press, and let _Chief _Pope know where his son and Sharon have gone. Good work y'all, good work."

She walked to catch a lift to the hospital, and the assorted Major Crimes team smiled. New Chief, new problems and new cases would come, but that was tomorrow. For now, they had closed their case, and that was all they needed to have the first good night's sleep in months. They deserved it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

_LA Times Online, September 1__st__ 2010_

_GRADUATION: THE UCLA KILLER IS NO MORE_

_In a shocking twist today, LA Times can reveal that the serial murderer known as the UCLA Killer was killed in a tense standoff with LAPD officers this afternoon. _

_In 1998 the UCLA Killer murdered nine young women, and disappeared without a trace. The chief suspect at the end of the investigation was UCLA professor Eddie Hanson. This summer three more young women were murdered, and another six were discovered at Hanson's former home. The LAPD has worked diligently to bring this madman to justice, and after several tense weeks and investigation into the missing years of Eddie Hanson, police came up with an address. _

_Commander Russell Taylor released this statement about the events that happened this afternoon: "After weeks of hard investigative work, the Major Crimes Unit managed to find Eddie Hanson's Los Angeles address and current alias. Captain Sharon Raydor, showing remarkable courage, rescued fellow LAPD colleague Lieutenant Andrew Flynn and civilian and son of the new Chief of Police Thomas Pope from the hostage situation they were in with Eddie Hanson. In the struggle between Captain Raydor and Hanson, he was killed." _

_"Eddie Hanson was a manipulative murderer who not only abused the trust of the police officers who turned to him for help in this case on both occasions, but also the lives of several young women that saw Eddie Hanson and his aliases as a man they could trust. He went back to UCLA after severe reconstructive surgery and continued to manipulate innocent minds around him. The LAPD will not shed any tears for the loss of Eddie Hanson, but for the lives of the twenty three men and women who died at his hands."_

_Commander Taylor revealed that more information about Eddie Hanson and his motives for his slayings will be revealed to the public after the case is officially closed by the LAPD. Reports suggest that Captain Raydor has been admitted to hospital with wounds to her face, hands and neck; Lieutenant Flynn is undergoing surgery for damage to his torso and arms and Mister Pope is receiving treatment for shock. _

_A memorial service is said to be planned for next week for family, friends and the public to pay tribute to the people massacred by the UCLA Killer. _

_LA Times Online, September 1__st__ 2010_

_In our final coverage of the city's Chief sweepstakes, well known reporter Ray Andrews announces the new Chief of Police:_

_The new Chief of the LAPD is William H Pope, Assistant Chief of the LAPD for twelve years. This reporter is somewhat surprised about the choice; no doubt Deputy Chief Tommy Delk would have been the one City Hall would have liked to replace Chief Wendell Berrill. So far Pope has done well by the city - since his announcement as Chief the LAPD have already closed the UCLA Killer case. _

_In his speech to the city, he declared that he would continue on the good work by Chief Berrill, but continue to make the department and relations with the city stronger than ever. He would also reinstate Force Investigation Division, one of the most outstanding departments in the LAPD, and one that celebrates its ten year anniversary next April. _

_However his first speech was cut short as the new Chief left the podium to get more news on his son and partner. Time will tell how Will Pope bodes as Chief, but this reporter is happy with the outcome. It is obvious from reports that he cares about his officers, and they care about him. Out of all the candidates for Chief, this is the one who will make the department stronger than ever before, and could lead to a new beginning for the Los Angeles Police Department. _

X

Everyone was in shock. That was how he described the scene outside Eddie Hanson's chamber of horror - shock. The joy of realising that the UCLA Killer case was over was short lived, and soon everyone was worried about Flynn, worried about Raydor. Gabriel had taken Brenda to go get some coffee. Tao was meeting his wife in the car park outside. Sanchez had gone to the airport to pick up Claudia and Simon, and Tony was trying hard not to throw up. When Provenza came in the waiting room it was only Tommy Pope standing, looking at the door.

"Hey, how are you kid?" Provenza asked. Tommy turned around to look at him, not smiling. "How is everyone?"

Tommy sighed, his voice slightly shaking. "Flynn's in surgery. He had some torso cuts, and Professor Hadley…Hanson - well he cut a little close to Flynn's jugular. He's lost a lot of blood. Then there were the cuts to his face and his arm and wrist. The breaks in his right arm are pretty severe - they're hoping that if they sort it out quickly enough and with physiotherapy he'll be able to use it again."

Provenza winced - he didn't want to hear that about his partner, his friend. He moved Tommy over to a seat and watched as the young man continued to look at the doorway. He should have been there for Flynn, but he had been so cut off recently - dealing with his feelings for the Chief and his relationship with Lana. He missed his best friend, and hoped he had a chance to tell him.

"How about Sharon?" Provenza asked.

Tommy began to whimper. "We were going to go home, like we said. Well Sharon was going to call my Dad, leave me at home to sleep. I felt like it, I didn't want to be awake. We were going past one of the ambulances and suddenly she just collapsed. We took her to the hospital; they're looking at her now. Hanson bit her; they're making sure he didn't break skin. He hit her in the face." He sighed before turning back to Provenza. "He tried to rape her. I've never seen…never wanted to see. I've seen dead bodies; I've never seen anyone die. What he did to her, what he tried to do to her…"

Provenza held the boy for a moment, before he saw Sharon Raydor coming down the hallway and through the double doors. Her neck was bandaged up, as were her hands. Her face was a multitude of bruises, and she was walking slowly. She sat in the seat opposite Tommy, looking at the boy with sorrow. She needed to sit down; the bruises on her hips and arms were painful.

"Hey, Tommy. They want me back in there; got some more tests to run and they want to check you out too. You ready?"

He nodded for a moment, and they went to leave Provenza. Suddenly Sharon could hear laughter bubbling up. She turned to see the Lieutenant, who turned to her with the most curious look on his face. "Where you were just sitting, back in February, Flynn was sitting in that exact same seat, covered in your blood. In the last five years where I've worked with Flynn I've only had one of my friends hospitalised. Now, in the last six months I've had two. I don't think I could bear a third."

Sharon looked to Provenza with a weak smile and a tear. He smiled faintly at her, before motioning the two to go and get checked out. He would sit and wait and once again hope that he wouldn't have to go to a funeral.

X

Tommy was being looked over for shock, while the doctors were giving Sharon an ultrasound. She was looking at Tommy and decided to never let him out of her sight from that moment on. The doctor smiled at her and offered to give her a painkiller, but she refused. She was just thankful that the bite hadn't broken skin. The bruises would heal; the cuts on her hands from the glass would too. The psychological implications of what had happened that afternoon would take longer.

Once the doctors had all left, she turned to Tommy. "Hey, how are you?"

He looked at her, his eyes wet with tears, tired of people asking. "That is a stupid question, Sharon, it really is. How do you think I'm doing? I…" His tone retreated from anger, and became childlike. "I saw the man who I adored, admired become a twisted monster right in front of me. I spent hours watching him torture Andy. Then I watched him try and rape you."

"And then I killed him." Sharon looked at the boy, before moving him over onto the bed with her. He huddled next to her, clinging onto her. "It's okay. It's going to take some time, but it's going to be okay. I'm alive; your baby sister is healthier than anyone in the family. _You're alive._"

Tommy nodded, fiddling with his shirt sleeves. Sharon kissed the top of his head. "Hanson was wrong. About me, about my family. We're not runners, we are fighters. Sometimes it gets the best of us, but we always come back. Tommy, I know I'm not your mother; but I consider you family. I hope you don't mind if I refer to you as my son."

He shook his head, looking at her with a faint smile. "I have no problems with that at all. Just don't leave again, you promise? I don't want you to go. I don't think I can get through this without you."

"You got through February without me, you had your Dad. Your Dad is a great man, and instead of turning to him when I needed to, I ran. This time we will have him, we will have Caitlin and Brendan and Andie." Sharon sighed, turning to Tommy.

He nodded, shifting up on the bed. He looked down at the wounds on her hands, the bandages covering them. He didn't know if he could do it, could be a police officer after all that he had seen. "Hadley…Hanson…he took everything good and turned it sour. Took everything I wanted to be, and made it rotten."

Sharon looked him in the eye, and shook her head. "No, Tommy, he didn't. He tried, but he didn't. He was right about something though: you are an amazing young man, Tommy Pope." She squeezed his shoulders. "You know I've always considered FID about atonement, but it's not. It's about seeing the good and making sure that the bad is merely a footnote. It's about taking those people who make a mockery of us all, who damage the men and women who die for this job and making them pay for abusing the badge, for abusing us." She smiled. "You know, USC has an internship program with us, and we were looking at setting one up at UCLA. I would very much like to have you as an intern at FID."

Tommy grinned and nodded. "I think I'd like that." Tommy reached over and held Sharon's hand. She smiled at him, kissing the top of his head. "How are you so calm, Sharon? If I was you, I'd be breaking apart."

She looked out the window and just smiled. "I know, I know. But today I met my fears, I looked them dead in the eye and told them that my name is Sharon Raydor, and any man who thinks that he can abuse me, use me as some personal sexual punching bag is going to end up regretting it on the wrong side of the grave."

There was a knock on the door, and two figures Sharon hadn't seen in a while entered. Claudia and Simon placed their bags down and hugged their Captain. Tony was waiting by the doorframe. She had been wondering when their flight would get in as she wanted to see them, to make sure they were okay.

"We are so sorry, Captain," Claudia said. "We should have got the name sooner; if we had you wouldn't have even been in this mess. We're sorry we screwed up again."

Simon nodded his head in agreement, but Sharon shook hers. She moved off the bed and turned to her two detectives, looking at them with pride. "I have no idea what you two are talking about. You helped the Asheville police with their case, gave them the chance to find justice. You two should be proud. I have never been more proud."

Simon and Claudia hugged her; and Tony came into join them. The FID team was back together again, and it was about time. Tommy looked on, smiling. Once they had finished the joyous reunion, Tony turned to Sharon and Tommy. "I've got some good news. Flynn is out of surgery. He's going to be okay. How are you both?"

Tommy reached for his step mother's hand, smiling. "We're going to be okay."

X

Will was pacing his office while his assistant kept rattling off a list of events, press conferences and interviews he would have to go to now he was Chief of Police. He didn't want any of that; he just wanted to know whether his son and the love of his life were okay. Thankfully, the door to his office swung open, and Taylor walked through.

"Well?" Will asked his friend as he came in. He was practically shaking, wanting to know what had happened.

"That was a great press conference, sir. I'm sure they need you to do more. I can brief you on the situation regarding Eddie Hanson when you have a free moment…" Taylor began. However, Will banging his fists down on the table stopping anymore debate.

"No, damn it you will tell me now, Russell! How is Tommy, how is Sharon and the baby?" He sighed for a moment, looking at his feet. "How is Flynn, is he alive?" The statement took the wind out of his sails, and he sat back down in his chair.

"You know, I think that's the first time you've ever called me Russell," Taylor said, looking at the tired man in front of him. "Everyone is okay. Flynn just came out of surgery, he's going to be in pain for a long time but he's alive. Can't ask anymore than that."

Will nodded, looking at what was going on in front of him. He needed to get to that hospital, but there were mitigating circumstances - like the fact that he was now _Chief of Police_. There was no time for celebration; he just wanted to make sure that his family were okay.

"I'm sorry Russell, I'm just scared." He was slightly happy now he knew they were okay, but it would be a while before he had that total peace of mind. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. Russell, prepare a statement about Eddie Hanson and what went down this afternoon to the press. I want Hanson under lock and key, I don't want anyone getting a quote off that guy."

Taylor shook his head, and looked towards Will. "Sir, you don't understand. Hanson's dead."

Will breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't realise he had been holding. He hadn't wanted to go through the interrogation with Hanson again, watching another few months go buy with Hanson's trial, and then Hanson in prison. At least this way he knew his family was safe, that Sharon was safe. "Fine, then I don't want anyone getting pictures of the bullet holes Major Crimes put in his head." He noticed that Taylor wasn't saying anything, and he looked towards him. "What?"

"There are no bullet holes, sir. From what I got from Lieutenant Williams - Captain Raydor went there of her own steam, was captured and Hanson tried to rape her. She stabbed him to death with broken glass."

Will took on the information that Taylor had just given him and made his choice. He took a deep breath and turned to the Commander. "Get the statement out. Then get some forms sorted, I want FID back up and running by the end of the week. Then get some forms for new promotions."

"Of course, your new Assistant Chief and their replacement."

He smiled. "Not quite, Taylor. I'll be at the hospital, call me if anything comes up."

Will made it to the doorway before changing his mind and getting something out of his desk drawer. The small square box had been with him since February, and today was the perfect chance to use it for its intended purpose. He smiled at Taylor before heading out. Several officers led him to an unmarked car which was meant to ferry him to and from the hospital. He was now Chief of Police. It would only seem real when he told Sharon.

X

He couldn't feel his arm. He didn't know why, maybe he had fallen asleep on his desk and the whole thing had gone numb. He tried to remember the last thing he could. There was the morning with Brenda, where they had talked and made breakfast and he had gone to work with the feeling that they were going to be together and for once he would get the girl. And then everything was murky, apart from pain and glass and screaming - had he been in some sort of fight?

_"I'm not a whore, you psychopath."_

Andy wrenched open his eyes, and immediately remembered it all. Hadley. Hanson. The torture. Pope's son in tears. Sharon. Sharon on the floor. His arm, oh god his arm he still couldn't feel his arm…

"Hey, hey, settle down."

He looked over to the voice and saw that Brenda Leigh Johnson was by his bedside. As his vision cleared, he saw that he was hooked up to an IV, his entire right arm was encased in plaster and that his wrist was bandaged. There was so much pain, and he didn't think he could cope. She rested her hand on his good arm and smiled like the sun.

"You're awake." She wiped away the tears with her free hand "I wondered if I'd ever see you again."

"I'm like a bad penny, I always show up," Andy grimaced at the pain he felt. Hanson had tortured him, and there were bandages over his neck, his chest and his face as well as everything else. He realised that Brenda was crying. He used his good arm to reach over and stroke her cheek, even though it hurt like hell.

"Never, ever, act like you're worthless. You, Andy Flynn, are amazing. I love you, I love you so much," Brenda declared before she reached over and kissed his lips softly. She clasped his face, still crying. "I'm going home tonight, I'm going to pack a bag and tell Fritz its over. I want to be with you, Andy. I don't want to ever spend another day like today, wondering what I could have done with you and never getting a chance."

He looked over her, stroking her face. She was so beautiful, and she was his. He kissed her again, softly but he wanted to kiss her like she was his only reason for living. He didn't care about the pain, pain was in the mind. She was in his heart. "I love you, Brenda Leigh Johnson. I have loved you for a very long time."

She stayed by his bedside as they talked for a moment, about him getting home from the hospital and what he could cook her - they decided on Italian. They also talked about going on trips and meeting family members. They talked about anything but how much pain he was in, or her leaving Fritz. Flynn was worried about where she would go - or her being on her own. He knew her husband had a temper and while he would never physically hurt her, he never wanted to see Brenda scared. They could wait a while, they had waited this long. As it was, Flynn wasn't sure if she would want him anyway, when he was up and around. He kept staring at all the bandages.

"I'm not a vain man, Brenda - but how bad is it? Do I look like Frankenstein's monster?"

Brenda shook her head, stroking his cheek. "You're perfect. I talked to your doctors, and with physiotherapy you should regain full use of your arm. Your wrist will heal. There might be some slight scarring on your neck, chest and definitely on your face." She leaned down and kissed just next to where the bandage was, where his chin met his neck. Andy moaned. "I love you, and we're together. Hanson is dead, everyone is alive. We're okay, we got through this."

Andy tried to link his fingers with hers, but she clasped them, holding onto them tight. They talked for a while longer, until he fell asleep from the pain. She sat in the chair next to him, not wanting to leave. Brenda kissed the top of his head and closed her eyes, clinging onto his hand.

X

Sharon had drifted asleep when she felt someone stroking her hair. She knew the touch, knew the feeling of those fingertips against her skin and she opened her eyes to the most amazing blue ones. They were filled with so much love, so much joy at seeing how she was.

"Hey, you."

She reached over and touched Will's face. He kissed her hand, nuzzling it against his cheek. "Hey yourself. So, I leave you alone for five minutes and you go and get yourself in a hostage situation with a serial killer, huh?" Will whispered, not wanting to wake his sleeping son.

Tommy was huddled next to her, his face red. She had heard him crying while she had closed her eyes, but he was asleep now. Will, smiling sadly, gathered his son in his arms and put him on the next bed so he could sleep in peace. He needed it. He deserved it. He kissed his son's forehead, before going back to Sharon.

"In my defence I did save their lives," Sharon whispered, happy to see him.

Will nodded, before kissing her. He looked sad all of a sudden, and Sharon realised someone must have told him what had happened to her - all of what had happened to her. "If he wasn't dead already, I would kill him. As it is…" He looked over the bruises on her face with heartache.

Sharon reached for his hand. "It doesn't matter. He's dead now; he can't hurt any of us anymore." She started to grin when she remembered the one good thing that had come out of the day. "Hey, me and Tony picked a name for our girl. Tommy seemed to like it. What do you think of Andie?"

Will laughed softly, liking the name. "Andie, it's pretty. You wanted Michaela, didn't you, for your father? Andie Michaela Raydor, I like that. Good strong names, for an amazing baby girl."

She smiled at Will, but shook her head like he was missing something. "No, Will. You see, I have had some amazing men in my life, and a lot of them are going to be a big part of her life. Andie for Flynn, Michaela for my Dad, and her surname is Pope. For you, Will. For your baby girl."

He reached over and hugged her before both of them rested their hands on Sharon's stomach, feeling Andie kick hard. Will kissed Sharon as hard as he dared. She kissed him back with gusto, needing to feel his touch. She let out a soft moan, wanting to be with Will. Wanting to feel the man who loved her so very much.

"Hey, I got some news. They've announced who the new Chief is."

"If its Brody I will kill him."

Will shook his head, grinning like a madman. "Nope. It's me. I'm the new Chief, Sharon. I don't know what made Charlie change his mind, but we can still be together and I can be Chief. Things are finally looking up for us."

Sharon squealed as loud as she dared, but Tommy did not wake. She reached over and hugged Will.

"I can't believe it - I mean I knew you should be Chief, but with everything last week…this is great news, Will. Amazing news. I love you so much."

They kissed again in celebration. There was more than enough room for Will to join her on the bed, but he resisted, still crouching beside her. He stroked her forehead, his stomach starting to churn. It was now or never. "It's amazing, just like the woman in front of me." She rolled her eyes, but her smile told him she loved him. "Well I haven't done anything official as Chief, just asked for some forms. So, as my first official act as Chief of the LAPD…"

Sharon expected him to produce forms bringing back FID. She didn't expect the man she loved to go down on one knee and produce an engagement ring. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. "Sharon Raydor, will you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?"

Her heart leapt into her chest, she couldn't believe what he was asking. Her legs grew weak, her heart raced. But then a shadow past over her face, wondering if he was asking her to marry him because of the baby, or because he was just afraid of losing her. They'd only been together a year, barely half of that. She wondered if they were rushing things. Will took her silence to mean a no.

"If it makes any difference, Sharon, he's had the damn ring since February. Been carting it around in his jacket pocket all these months," Tommy croaked from the bed next to them, watching as his father proposed.

She bowed her head before reaching up to look Will in the eyes. Her love for this man scared her, terrified her of being hurt again. She was completely his, and she knew that he would give her the world if she only asked. She'd been married before, and it was hell. He had been married before, and it was a nightmare. But she couldn't imagine a world more perfect than being with him, and she told him so.

"Is that a yes?" He looked over and saw that she was crying. He wiped away the tears with his thumb. "You own me, Sharon; every little bit is yours to claim." She smiled, remembering his words from all those months ago. "I promise to love you, care for you, protect you if you need that. Support the Yankees, if you want that. I know marriage is scary and we have three bad marriages between us to put us off the idea. But this ring and the ceremony is a symbol in front of everyone that our love is stronger than any other, and that my love for you is eternal, always."

Sharon moved off the bed and flung her arms around Will. "I love you, Will Pope, and I love how much you love me." She clasped his face. "I can't spend any longer without you. I don't want to; it kills me every time we're apart. You're the best man I've ever known, and it's me who has the honour of you being my husband."

Will looked over at her with bright eyes and brought Sharon up in a hug, spinning her around. Tommy cheered from his bed, and the newly engaged couple kissed. He took the ring and put it on her finger before kissing her hand. "You seriously want to be the next Mrs Pope? Honest to god?"

Sharon rested her forehead against him, looking him in the eyes. "Honest to god, I want to be with you forever. As your wife."

They clung onto each other, Will happier than he had been in a long time. Sharon closed her eyes, sighing at feeling Will against her. She was tired of running; she was tired of putting everyone else before herself. She wanted to be married to Will; she wanted his baby girl and his kids and a huge house with a pool. She wanted him, and now she had him forever, no matter what the future held.

X

Claudia Belluci stood outside the LAPD building. Next to her stood Simon Stoker. Tony Williams joined them in standing outside. They all looked to the building in front of them, nervous about what would happen in the future. A taxi dropped off someone at the kerb, and they saw their Captain join them, her engagement ring obvious to anyone.

"So, we've got a couple more people to wait for, and then we'll head off to the memorial service," Sharon announced.

It was over a week since Eddie Hanson had been killed, over a week since Flynn had been tortured. Over a week since Will Pope had been made Chief of Police, and over a week since he and the Captain had got engaged. The memorial service was happening today, where the lives of all twenty three victims would be celebrated. All the attendees had been asked to wear blue and gold, the UCLA colours. Sharon's new tattoo, the number '23' was embossed in those colours, a symbol to never forget those who passed on, but to eradicate Eddie Hanson.

"Hey, I'm fine, thanks for asking sis. Yeah, I'll call Lana later. Right, I gotta go, it's the memorial service." Sharon looked over to see Flynn, accompanied by Tommy, joining the group. Flynn had been released from hospital the day before. His arm was still healing, and there were minor scars to his face and neck but nothing too obvious. He was healing, both physically and emotionally.

Tommy gave her a hug, before turning to the others - they were excited to have him work at FID. Sharon turned to the group. "Okay, now everyone is here, we need to do something. When everyone moved in here, we didn't get a chance to do this because we were broken apart. Now we're together again and it's time to move forward."

Together they moved inside the LAPD building and up the elevator to the Internal Affairs corridor. Flynn reached for Sharon's hand as they walked up to their new offices. This was going to be a new experience, but something he wanted to do. On one of Tommy's regular visits, he had told Flynn about Sharon's views on FID. He wanted to be part of that.

Eventually they made it to the office and Sharon opened the door. The lights flickered on, and she looked at the light coming in from the windows at the back. There were acres of storage space for boxes; there were new computer terminals and space for everyone's desks. Claudia, Simon and Tony had already picked theirs out, and they sat at them. There were two desks remaining, and Tommy went and sat opposite Claudia. Andy looked at the remaining desk.

"It's your desk, Andy. Not Jimmy's. _Yours_." Sharon whispered. He grinned and sat down at the desk.

With everyone seated, they started to joke around the space, laugh and tell stories. Simon made paper planes; Claudia tried to get onto the internet to check her email. Sharon looked around her office, amazed that it was actually _hers_. There was so much light in her office it was unbelievable.

"Welcome back, Captain."

She looked over to see Tony standing with her, looking over her office and her view. "Welcome back, Tony. It's about time."

There was a yell from behind them and they saw that Simon, Claudia and now Tommy were throwing paper balls at each other. Sharon shook her head, and Tony went to go break them up. Some things never changed, and from the wide grin on Flynn's face, he was glad they didn't.

X

Will was still in his old office. He hadn't moved to his new one, even though he knew Wendell had cleared it out on the day he had been announced as Chief. He was happy that Will had taken over, and wanted to give him the space to be his own man. In some ways, Wendell was like the father he wished his own could have been, even though there was only a decade or so between them. He was straightening the gold tie above his blue suit when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey Stephen, come on in."

The head of Internal Affairs did, and sat in one of the seats in front of the desk. "You know the Chief office is twice the size of this."

Will smiled. "I want to appoint a new Assistant Chief before I go anywhere. I don't want a great transitional phase; I'm not firing anyone that I don't have to. I want to get all the promotions sorted out by the end of the month. So I was hoping for your input about the next Assistant Chief."

Stephen thought it over, fiddling with the sleeves of his jacket. "Well I think everyone's obvious choice would be Brenda."

Will laughed, he had considered her. "Yeah, but she would say no in a heartbeat. Brenda hates politics; I think Deputy Chief is as high as she wants to go. I considered offering it to her, but she loves her job. Then there is our previous relationship, that would not go down well."

Stephen agreed. Will was in a precarious position - he had to be very careful about who he offered the job to. "Taylor? He's less of a bastard as he has been in previous years. And the way he's been sucking up to everyone he would appreciate being in a position of power."

"I like Russell, he's a good man. But people tend to fall back on bad habits; I think Brenda being of higher rank has humbled him. I don't want him to be a bastard again."

"What about someone from outside?" Stephen suggested. "You were brought in to replace Montgomery after the sex scandal. I know a lot of people thought Simpson would have promoted Wendell, but he was happy as head of Narcotics until he became Chief."

Will smiled, thinking over old memories. "I remember getting my interview for that. Simpson had just been diagnosed with Cancer; he knew he had to retire. Wendell and he had it all figured out. There were too many players, Wendell was sensible, strong. They brought me in to help with the transition - same Assistant Chief, just a new Chief in charge. I was always Wendell's Assistant Chief."

Stephen smiled, thinking about Simpson. He had passed away two weeks after he had retired; the whole of the LAPD plunged into mourning. "So bring someone in from outside. Brenda worked, you worked. As much as you need to continue on with Wendell's work, some new blood will help you make this department your own."

Will grinned, but he had already chosen his Assistant Chief, he just needed to ask. "It's a good idea, Stephen. But I was thinking about you. About you becoming my Assistant Chief." Stephen looked shocked, and Will wondered whether his delivery was putting people off accepting his proposals. "Think about it Stephen, you've been here longer than anyone. You've done incredible work in Internal Affairs and even if people don't like you, god dammit they respect you. I want you as my Assistant Chief."

Stephen shook his head and moved to looking out the window in Will's office. "I'm sorry Will, but I'm going to have to say no." He turned back around to face him. "You're a good friend, Will, you always have been. And you and Sharon together, I am so happy for the both of you. I supported your bid for Chief, because you deserve to be Chief. But I like where I am, the head of Internal Affairs. Plus, my replacement isn't quite ready yet."

"Sharon?" Will asked.

The Deputy Chief smiled. "I always wanted to be in Internal Affairs. Everyone talked about cutting out the rot but no one did. Not until I came along. Will, you have your dream job, I have mine. Eventually I will retire, when Sharon is ready to take over Internal Affairs."

"Its honourable, Stephen, that you want her to continue on your legacy. But she can do it now; she can work on all your current investigations with your input as Assistant Chief."

Stephen looked out the window and watched as Julian Brody talked to some reporters in the LAPD courtyard. "I'm sorry, Will, but I think someone else would be better. I've still got some unfinished business as head of IA. "His voice dropped to a low whisper, one that Will could barely here. "No one touches my officers and gets away with it."

Will didn't ask what he meant, just saw the time and decided they should leave for the memorial service. As they walked out of his office, he saw Brody standing outside, the only one there. He didn't say anything to Stephen, just thought. He was sad that Stephen hadn't taken the job; he wanted him by his side. Maybe he could persuade Stephen in the future to take the role on. But he was more worried about what the future held for Brody, and whether Stephen's desire to protect his own would cause more harm than good.

X

The memorial service was not at the cemetery, it was at UCLA. A monument had been created in front of the University, and students and family members were coming to pay tribute. As Sharon stepped out of the car with Flynn, reporters with flashing bulbs and television cameras jumped on them. There was a tirade of questions but Sharon and Flynn didn't answer them, just moved through the throng to join their colleagues.

Family members and friends who had been at the memorial service only a month before had come again to remember their daughters. Claudia turned Sharon's head towards the officers from Asheville who had come out to remember the lives of the former Amelia Hanson and their family. Tommy pointed out Sarah's mother in the crowd. Several of the summer school people had also come to remember Sarah.

A video was showing memories of all the girls, both old and young. Sharon knew only a handful of them in person - and when they showed the brief footage someone had captured of Sarah, she felt Tommy's hand slip into hers.

Over the crowd, Tommy saw Keighley Weaver's brother and thought back to what Hanson had said during their capture. If it wasn't for him, then Keighley might still be alive. He had been wondering that for so long - but then wondered if instead of Keighley's family there would be someone else whose daughter would be dead.

The Dean of UCLA came on stage, sorrowed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming out here today. We have a number of remembrance speeches from those who knew our students the best. We have mourned their deaths, now it is time to celebrate their lives. For some it may be too soon, for others, too long. But now that the man responsible has been brought to justice, we can truly move on. I would like to welcome our new Chief of Police, William Pope."

There was polite applause as Will moved to ascend the podium. But Tommy got there first, putting his hand on his father's arm and moving in his place. Will wondered what his son was doing, but Sharon held him back with a smile.

Tommy reached the stage, and looked across at the somewhat confused faces in front of him. He saw his father and Sharon, he saw his new friends at the LAPD. And across the crowd, with her grandparents, was Charlie.

"Hello everyone. My name is Tommy Pope; I was part of the Criminology summer school that was run by Eddie Hanson." He paused. "Twenty three people died at his hands - eighteen amazing students at this institution, a family of three, a father and daughter. But this memorial is not to celebrate the dead. It's to celebrate the living, to celebrate the families that will cherish their daughters and their memories. It's for the officers who faced Hanson under horrible circumstances and lived to fight another day. Hanson never expected to die; through his horrible acts he believed he could live forever. He was wrong. He underestimated our need to live, our love of life. Hanson took everything else away, but not that."

Tommy stepped down from the podium, right into his father's embrace. The Dean moved back to the microphone and announced the second speaker. Once the speeches were underway, a woman came up to them. Sharon recognised her and accepted the hug she gave. She made introductions.

"Will, Tommy, this is Carolyn Danes. Her daughter was April Danes."

Carolyn turned to Tommy, her eyes welling up with tears. "You are an incredibly brave young man; I read in the paper what Hanson was going to do. To all three of you. You were right, up there. Twelve years, it's a long time to mourn the dead. But when you don't have justice, it's hard. We know it was Hanson. We know he's dead. Now I can begin to stop thinking about my April's murder, and instead think about everything that came before. Thank you, all of you."

She hugged Sharon again, and shook both Pope men's hands. When Andy joined the fray, she gave him a hug too. She wasn't the last relative to come up and speak to them, thank them for their bravery and the justice they gave their daughters. Sharon watched as Claudia and Simon talked to the Asheville officers, and watched as they left pictures of the Armstrong's on the memorial.

Eventually the crowd thinned out, and Sharon could add something to the memorial. It was a picture of her and Flynn that someone had taken towards the end of the original investigation, a photo she had found in the archives. They weren't the same people anymore. They were stronger.

Sharon walked back to the LAPD headquarters with Flynn, needing to be together. The case that had haunted them for twelve years was over; the unanswered girls had their justice. Finally, they could rest in peace.

X

It had been a while since they had all been together and not under a period of great stress. So FID decided to show Major Crimes how you threw a celebration party. Buzz was playing music on his computer, Claudia and Sanchez had bought snacks from across the road and the men had raided their offices for whatever alcohol they had available.

Flynn was sitting in a chair with a paper crown atop his head - the man of the hour. He was watching the woman he loved dancing with Michael from Internal Affairs. It had been a difficult week, but the week in front of them was going to be worse. As per Flynn's request, Brenda hadn't told Fritz yet. As it was, her parents weren't leaving until tomorrow. Charlie was already late for the new school year, but she had wanted to make sure Tommy was alright before she left.

Provenza joined his friend in a coke as they watched the scene in front of them. Tao and his wife were dancing. Claudia and Sanchez were doing something that _could_ be considered dancing. Morales and Simon were talking over dip. Gabriel was talking with Tony and his wife. Charlie and Tommy were dancing. Willie Rae and Clay were bringing in food and drink from the RV. Ian Baker was dancing with Caitlin, while Brendan was making funny faces with Eddie. Stephen was talking with Taylor, and Sharon and Will were dancing, only having eyes for each other.

Suddenly there was a clattering of glass, and they turned to see that Provenza was banging his glass lightly against the table. Flynn was laughing at him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to make a speech. Now it is the end of the week, and now everything is back to normal, things are going to change. If someone had told me this time last year that we would be united with FID, I would have laughed in their faces. But here we are, together. On Monday morning, FID will go back to their own offices, and they will be taking Flynn with them. I would like to thank them for that."

Everyone laughed, and Flynn hit him with his good arm. The two started to snap at each other, and Gabriel picked up the toast. "I think what the Lieutenant is trying to say is that you are all going to be very missed. This was a hellish summer, but we wouldn't have wanted to go through it with anyone else."

Everyone cheered and looked towards their new friends. Brenda took the floor next, raising her glass. She looked straight at Flynn, and he gave her a wink. She laughed. "I am going to miss you all, I hope you come by and visit. Even you Captain, I have grown to…tolerate you?"

Sharon laughed and shook the woman's hand, calling an official truce. Everyone cheered before Sharon returned to Will's side. Brenda looked on the pair with a smile. "This is probably the closest thing to an engagement party you two are going to have, so congratulations. I've never seen two people more made for each other. All the best!"

Everyone toasted to the happy couple, and Sharon and Will kissed again. The party continued onward, and Sharon danced with all of her future step kids. Will and Brenda even danced, before Stephen took it over and forced her and then her mother into Stephen's version of the tango.

Will was about to ask Claudia to dance when his assistant came up to him. "Sir, there's someone here to see you in your office. They said it was urgent, it was about your children."

He nodded, wondering what it could be. "Okay, just give me a minute and I'll be there." The assistant left and Will called attention to the party goers again. "I have to pop away for a minute, but before then I wanted to do something. Taylor?"

Taylor presented two boxes to Will and he grinned. "I wanted to do this with a bit more finesse, but I know how you two are at public speaking. So, here we go, you get boxes instead." He gave one of them to Brenda, who then passed it to Flynn. He gave the other box to Sharon. "Congratulations. You two have shown amazing courage, and the closing of this case in whatever way is to be rewarded, Commander Raydor. Captain Flynn."

Flynn spat out his drink and opened the box to reveal the two sets of bars instead of his one. Sharon opened hers to reveal the two stars that would go on either side of her collar. She reached over and hugged Will, who kissed her on the cheek. "It's been a long time coming, for both of you. Congratulations."

Everyone started to crowd round to congratulate them on their promotions. Will went to head off, and Sharon reached for his hand. "Want me to come with?"

He kissed her on the cheek, and left her to Caitlin who was looking at the stars. "If I need you, I'll send my assistant down. I'm sure I'll be fine. Love you, babe."

"Hey, I have a question. How come Sharon got promoted back in 1998 but you didn't?" Eddie asked as he played with sticking breadsticks up his nose. Sharon despaired of her colleagues as she moved with the kids into the throng of people looking at Flynn's new insignia.

"Because I did all the hard work!" Sharon teased, but Flynn shook his head. "No, it's because they felt sorry for her. She kept throwing up her lunch all the time."

Will smiled at his family and friends gathered around in celebration before heading to his office. He wondered who it could be, and he thought to Jean. No doubt it would have hit the news in DC. But as he opened the doors to his office, it was the wrong ex wife. He leant against the door and turned to the red head.

"Estelle. How are you?"

She smiled weakly. "Fine, and you?"

"Good, thank you." Will moved down to sit in the seat in his old but still office. "Engaged."

"And having a new child, I hear."

Will smiled, growing more worried by the minute about what Estelle was up to. "Yes, Sharon's pregnant. She's due middle of November. We haven't set a date for the wedding yet. I didn't know the kids were supposed to be with you for this weekend. After you sent them back because your husband couldn't stand Caitlin crying, I was expecting a call near Thanksgiving. Maybe around Caitlin's birthday."

Estelle joined in his bitter smile. He took in her appearance, her manicured nails, her newly styled hair. She looked just like she had after they had separated - a woman looking for a new start. "You'll be happy to know, Will, that I've left him. I couldn't take what he was doing to me, how he was treating Caitlin and Brendan. I realise now they're more important than anything."

"Pity you couldn't realise that when we divorced," Will snapped. Estelle replied by opening her handbag and putting some papers in front of Will. "What are these?"

"I saw on the news that your new fiancée and your son were tortured by a serial killer. And now you're Chief, people are going to be after you, you're a public figure. Will, I have realised now I need to do what is best for my children. That's why I'm reopening our custody agreement. I want our kids, Will."

"You can't do that, we signed a legal document. I have custody of our children!"

Estelle stood up from the chair. "That's before I ended things with my husband. That's before you got engaged to a woman who is clearly messed up - I looked her up, Will. And Tommy - what can I say? He tried to kill himself in February, got tortured last week…he always hated Brendan. I can't leave my son with that monster that is yours, nor that pretty New Yorker who attracts psychopaths. You'll be hearing from my attorney Will, very soon."

She slammed the door behind her, and Will glanced towards the papers in front of him. For the first time since becoming Chief, since getting engaged, since almost losing Sharon and Tommy, Will lost his temper. He slammed his fist into the case behind him, and clung onto the pain in his hand. His blood dripped down onto his shirt, but he didn't care. He was numb.

He couldn't lose everything, not when everything had finally fallen into place.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Love letters between Will Pope and his then lover Estelle during the summer of 1996:_

_My dearest Estelle,_

_Not long now my darling, and we can be together. A few more weeks, and then everything we have been dreaming about will be true. I cannot wait to start our life together; every torturous minute I am not by your side destroys me. You make me stronger by just looking into your beautiful eyes. _

_I am sitting at my study and thinking of you, and only you. Sweet dreams my darling, dream of our life together. _

_Forever yours,_

_Will _

_My darling Will, _

_I keep thinking about you, about us and my skin itches to be beside you, to lie in your bed and know that you won't have to leave to continue on the façade that is your life. I feel sorry for you most of all my darling, knowing that you can't be with me yet because of the life society deems right for you. _

_It kills me too, my darling, to know that we are so close to being together and yet we are so far from everything. Every time I see you with _her _or that blonde Captain who is always hanging on your arm I feel sick. I keep a countdown in my head until we are together, and every day I wake up alone with only numbers instead of your arms. _

_Eternally and most truly yours,_

_Estelle x _

_Love letters between Sharon Raydor and her then boyfriend Sam Broker, during the summer of 1978:_

_Sharon,_

_The house you are in is made of stone,_

_There is no love there for you to find. _

_Dust and bricks and buried bones,_

_A horror story for our time. _

_Come away with me my darling,_

_Escape the world and be free._

_There is no greater place on this earth,_

_Then the open road and you and me. _

_SB x _

_Sam,_

_You romantic kook you. Give me another year to be out of this place, and then we can go anywhere we want, as long as it's far away from here. I love you. _

_SR x_

_A message left for Sharon Raydor by Will Pope during the summer of 2010:_

_Sharon,_

_I'll be back later, babe, but I need to get some air. I love you, and I'll be home as soon as I can. Can't wait to see you in our house again, and to set the smoke alarm off making breakfast for you. _

_Will x _

X

Sharon was waiting at the kitchen table, pouring syrup onto her pancakes. She had developed a sweet tooth since she had been pregnant, and was considering whether she could get away with putting ice cream on them as well as the ground nuts and chocolate chips she had made them with.

"Hey Sharon. We have some chocolate buttons if you want 'em," Brendan stated as he came into the kitchen to see what she was making for breakfast.

"That would be great." She grinned, looking over the entire pan of pancakes she made. "Grab a plate Brendan; we're going to have a sugar overload for breakfast!"

He and Caitlin joined in the pancake making. Sharon found a tub of ice cream from the freezer and she and the kids started to get together everything sweet they had in the household. Chocolate buttons, strawberries, syrup.

"Okay, we'll eat this and when your Dad comes back we'll go over to the Johnson's and say goodbye to them," Sharon stated, planning out their morning. She wasn't looking forward to that goodbye, but unfortunately it wasn't that that was tying her stomach in knots.

The kids continued to build their pancakes. Tommy came down the stairs, still in his suit from yesterday. He had spent most of his time in the last week sleeping, unfocussed. Sharon poured him a cup of coffee, and he took it gratefully. She was worried about the young Pope, but there was nothing she could do for him.

"Where's Dad?"

Sharon shook her head, not letting on her worry. "I think he went out to get a paper. He'll be home soon enough."

Tommy saw the worry in her eyes, but he didn't say anything. Caitlin and Brendan took their sugar monstrosities to the living room to eat, and Tommy went back to his bedroom, once again not eating anything. Sharon was putting on another pot of coffee when the kitchen door opened and Will came through. Like his son he was wearing his clothes from the night before. He hadn't gone to their bed last night.

"Hey."

"Hey," Sharon said. The kids greeted him loudly from the living room, too involved in their pancakes. "So, any reason you spent the entire night away? Should I be worried - dead body, pool of alcohol or a visit to the red light district? I saw your note; did you really think I wouldn't worry about you?"

"You're really getting into this whole wife thing, aren't you?" Will snapped, resting his hands on the sink. He looked over to his fiancée, and immediately regretted his words. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering apologies in her ear.

"Come on, let's go for a walk," Sharon announced, reaching for his hand. She linked it with his, squeezing tight. The kids were busy eating and watching television, they didn't notice them leave.

They took a walk down the street, still holding hands. Will wondered how something so simple could bring him so much calm. He breathed the fresh air as they walked, just happy to be with the woman he loved. They found a small park that had a few children running around and sat down on a bench. Sharon found his hand again.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong. Last night you go off and you don't come back till this morning? You're worrying me, Will."

He nodded, looking over to her. He was trembling, and Sharon reached over to stroke his cheek, calming him. "I…I needed to get my head together. I went to the pier, I was sober, didn't kill anyone and all I thought about all night was how I wanted to get back to our bed." He took a deep breath. "Estelle is fighting for custody of Brendan and Caitlin."

Sharon was shocked. "Why? Why now?" But she suspected, and she rested her head against his shoulder. "Hanson, huh? It's all over the news; Estelle doesn't want her kids around someone who brings psychos like that back home."

"It's entirely without merit, Sharon," Will brushed his hand against her cheek. "She doesn't want Tommy around them either, it's a nightmare."

Sharon broke from his grip and looked out over the park. "Maybe she's right. Hanson came to your house, left pictures on the doorstep. I wouldn't want Brendan and Caitlin around me - that's why I've been living with Flynn."

"Yeah, and now you're back. In _our _house, with _our _kids. Estelle can't disappear off for five years and walk in like nothing has changed. And before you get all self sacrificing because I _know you_, Sharon Raydor - I'm not splitting this family in half. I'll fight Estelle, and I'll win," Will said triumphantly, looking towards his fiancée. But she didn't look happy, didn't look supportive. She just looked sad. "Sharon, babe, what's wrong?"

She wrung her hands over each other before looking at the man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They had come so far, but always her past held her back. "Will, I think it's best if I do go, if you fight this battle without me. It might not be safe."

"Why? Hanson is dead, he can't hurt us anymore."

Sharon didn't react to his touch, to his warming arm around her shoulders. She just let tears drip down her cheeks. "We were in a jam, we had no idea where they were, or who might know where. Hanson could have been in any property in LA, it's a huge city."

"Yeah, but you got the addresses from a contact."

She winced. "I got the contacts from Sam. Hanson sent me to Sam - he knew about my past with him. So I had to go, I saw him, he gave me the addresses. He still hasn't collected on what he wants in return. I'm sorry, Will. I am so sorry. But I had to, for Tommy, for Andy."

Will didn't say anything, just pulled her closer to him. He kissed her head, holding her tight. Will brought her hand with the engagement ring on it into view. "You're mine, Sharon. He'll have to fight me for you."

Sharon smiled and still a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Will kissed her, forcing her to concentrate on the feel of his lips and how much love he felt for her. She melted into his embrace, forgetting about the world for as long as she wanted.

X

Sharon had let him borrow her motorbike so he could get out and just _breathe_. He had changed out of his suit, and was wearing shorts and an old LAPD t-shirt, something left over from his father's wardrobe. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Charlie coming to join him.

"Didn't think you got my message."

Charlie bowed her head. "Well I debated not to come, after all you didn't reply to my thousands I sent in the last week."

Tommy had the decency to look embarrassed. He offered her a bottle of water, and continued to look over the city. "In my defence I haven't replied to anything. My Mom and my stepdad have been calling like crazy, all my friends from DC. Hell even my ex girlfriend. I just needed to take a bigger break. Maybe I'm not ready to go to UCLA, maybe I need to just…"

Any further words of defeat ended when Charlie kissed him. It was light, innocent and reassuring. She pulled back to see his face, and he was smiling at her. They sat, looking out once again over the city.

"You need to go to UCLA, if only so I have a friend when I go there next year," Charlie teased. "It's going to be hell, I think you know that. But you've been there and back, after seeing what you saw…" She reached over and hugged him. He clung to her, needing to feel awake. He was tired of feeling numb.

They broke apart, their faces mere inches from each other. Tommy clasped her face and kissed her forehead. "You are incredible, Charlie Johnson."

Both their phones started to ring, but neither felt like answering them. In a few hours, Charlie would be off with her grandparents back to Atlanta. On Monday morning, Tommy would start UCLA. He felt so much guilt welling up inside of him, the need to just disappear and stop causing everyone so much pain. He was beginning to feel like he did in February, when he had pulled his car onto the tracks.

"We better go back, I took a cab here."

Tommy smiled as they stood up. "I have an extra helmet."

They drove through traffic, swerved over bridges and went along the sea front. Charlie held onto his back, and both of them observed a city that welcomed them as family. They parked up at the pier and looked out over the sea as the city woke up to a blistering Saturday. They made jokes about the people coming out onto the beach, and talked about films and music and all the small things they never got a chance to talk about before. It had been a long time, but Tommy felt like a normal teenage boy once again.

X

Fritz was glad to see the Johnsons go. In the last week she had spent all her free time by Flynn's bedside, leaving him early morning texts to apologise for falling asleep in hospital chairs. He wanted to talk to his wife, have an actual conversation without people interrupting or eavesdropping. He wanted to talk to her about their marriage, about Flynn, and whether there was any hope at all.

But that would have to wait for later, as Will and Sharon and the kids had arrived to say goodbye to the Johnsons, and he could see Flynn and Provenza accompanied with Claudia and Simon parking up to say farewell. Of course it wouldn't be goodbye forever, he had heard talk that the Johnsons would be coming down for Christmas.

A bike rode up to them and parked. Sharon waved at the two figures, and Charlie and Tommy hopped onto the pavement.

"Okay, well I've got my bookcase, and my granddaughter, so I think we're all about set!" Clay Johnson announced.

"Oh, you're forgetting one little thing," Sharon said, producing something out of her pocket. It was an up to date scan of Andie. "You two have been so amazing helping me with her. I'll keep you updated if you want, let you know when she decides to come out. And then you can visit her, if you want."

Clay started to tear up as he hugged Sharon, and Willie Rae soon joined in. They shook Will's hand and hugged the two younger Pope kids. As Charlie brought her suitcases out of the house, she watched as her grandfather shook Tommy's hand, looking over the boy with pride and sadness.

More goodbyes caused unshed tears as Willie Rae produced some homemade fudge for both Claudia and Simon. Provenza and Brenda's mother hugged before she imparted some advice. Next in line was Flynn who she hugged tight, longer than usual. She whispered something in his ear. "I'm not blind, Andrew. You treat my Brenda Leigh right, promise me."

"I promise," Andy whispered.

Will and Fritz moved the luggage onto the RV, and it was time to go. Willie Rae and Clay bid their daughter goodbye, and Brenda hung onto them. She didn't want them to go; she was worried what would happen after they left. She felt that above all this was the time that she needed her parents.

"Now Brenda Leigh, you're going to be fine. You've got everyone here by your side. We shall see you at Christmas!"

Fritz tried to put his arm around Brenda as they waved her parents and niece goodbye, but she broke away from his embrace. As everything was loaded up and ready to go, she stood by Will and Sharon and joined in waving her parents good luck on their trip back to Atlanta. Tommy smiled at Charlie as she waved from one of the windows, sad to see her go.

Once they were out of sight, everyone started to break away and go back to their respective homes. Fritz went straight inside. Will helped Sharon attach Tommy's bike to the car so they could drive him home. Flynn hovered around for a moment, looking back as Provenza, Claudia and Simon made their way to the car.

"You want me to stay around?"

Brenda looked towards the doorway. "No, I'll be okay. Just have your phone on, I'll be calling soon. I love you."

Andy reluctantly left to go back with his friends, watching as the woman he loved faced the gauntlet alone. Today her marriage would be ending. But a new future with Andy Flynn was just beginning.

X

They had all met up for lunch in Otto's - Tony had asked Sharon to call to get them some seats, but Otto knew the FID team, knew Flynn, and immediately gave them meals on the house. After a cranberry and soda with the group, he had left. Provenza knew something was up, had seen the way that the Chief had been staring at him and hoped that they dealt with that soon - it was becoming tiresome, and he needed concrete proof to tease Flynn with after all the grief he had given him over Lauren.

"God these sandwiches are delicious. I love coming here," Simon exclaimed, with Tao nodding in agreement.

Tony looked over their little group; it was still strange that this time last year they were loathed by the very people they were sharing sandwiches with. It would be sad to leave the comfortable office of Major Crimes and move to their new office at FID, although all three of them were happy not to investigate homicides anymore.

"Okay, I'm thinking we should put money on when Captain Raydor gives birth," Sanchez announced, and Claudia laughed, shaking her head.

"I think we should take bets on when they get married. Easier and much more fun than guessing when that baby is going to pop," Claudia said. "Let's see the baby is due middle of November, so I'm going to put ten dollars on them getting married before Halloween."

Gabriel shook his head, disagreeing with the bet. He brought his wallet out and put down a twenty dollar bill. "I'm going to put this on them getting married on Valentine's Day next year. I know, I know what happened but I think it would be nice to remember that day for something other than that."

Sanchez had taken out a notepad and was scribbling all the bets down. "Okay, if you want in, put twenty dollars in the pot and tell me the date. If no one gets it right or even close, then the money goes to buying a microwave and a coffee maker for the actual murder room."

The rest of the group pulled out their wallets and dropped the money into the pot. Even Otto walked over and pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket. "I have them getting married first of September next year, a good date to get married after the rush of the summer. Plus the baby will be older by then."

Simon laughed with Otto as he went to get them some more drinks. Sanchez wrote down the other dates, some opted for a Christmas wedding, others for April. Provenza betted they wouldn't get married for a couple of years, not until everything had calmed down. Eventually Tony was the last one who hadn't made a bet. He pulled out a fifty dollar bill and put it in the pot.

"August Fifteenth. No need to raise the stakes Claudia and Gentlemen. August Fifteenth will be the date of their wedding."

Claudia snorted. "How can you be so sure of that, Tony?"

He smiled. "Because I know the Captain, and I know Chief Pope. And I've known that they've been together longer than anyone. I also happen to know the date of their anniversary."

"What, you travel in time?"

Tony shook his head, but Simon groaned as he worked it out. "Of course, the night of the party last year, that big get together that was supposed to bring us together. Guess it did, in a way. Just took a year to work."

The others sighed as they realised that the pot in front of them was very likely going to belong to Tony when a year was through. Otto bought their drinks over and they continued to join in the merriment. As they watched other people come through and order, Sanchez brought out another twenty.

"Who wants to bet on when Flynn and the Chief will get together?"

Provenza shook his head, motioning for Sanchez to put his money away. "Unless you want to bet on hours, I think we should just stick to our sandwiches." He didn't say anymore, just hoped that the Chief and Flynn were okay.

X

Brenda was sitting in front of the television, not sure what to do with herself. She knew she should go into the kitchen where Fritz was making lunch, but she didn't want to. She just wanted to stay in her chair and not move, not go anywhere, just keep things as they were.

"So when are you leaving?"

She looked up to see Fritz watching her. He looked heartbroken, he had realised what was going on. She didn't know what to say, this wasn't how she wanted to tell him that their marriage was over. But it was, and there was no use putting a little ribbon on it and wishing it farewell. Life was messy, love especially. She just decided to be blunt.

"I'm in love with Flynn, Fritz. I love you too, I'll always love you. But with Andy, its…I can't describe it. It's like seeing the person who I am in someone else, and knowing that whatever happens, whatever I do and whatever he does we'll be there for each other. It's like finding the other half of yourself."

Fritz nodded, sitting across from her. "Just tell me; _please_ tell me that you haven't slept together."

Brenda shook her head, wanting to reach over and comfort Fritz but she couldn't. She knew it wasn't fair to him. "I am so, so sorry Fritz. I never wanted to hurt you, believe me I've been trying to deny how I feel about Andy since he came back, to give us a chance. We haven't slept together, and apart from what happened a while back, we've just kissed since then."

Fritz stood up, looking out of the window. "I suppose I should thank you for waiting until your parents left before ending our marriage. Although your Mother probably already knows, she always knows." He sat back in his chair, not sure what to say. "Is there anything I could have done, anything we could have done, Brenda? More therapy, maybe not taking that job at the LAPD?"

She walked over and touched his hand. He wasn't taking their break up like she expected. They had always fought, and she expected yelling, breaking plates with her giving as good as she got. But Fritz Howard had given up any hope of retrieving his wife, he had lost her. He was now coming to terms with that.

"There's nothing, Fritz. We are just two people who want so many different things. You need to find someone who can give you what you want, someone who isn't going to drive you crazy. Someone who can give you children, like you want, Fritz."

He rested his forehead against hers. "I want you, Brenda. I can give up wanting kids; I can stop trying to nag you into coming home earlier. Just don't go."

"You already know I am. And what sort of marriage would that be, Fritz? I want what I want, I could never deny you what you want, and it kills me every time I do." She kissed his cheek. "I love you, Fritz, and I really hoped that we would be together forever. I guess the heart doesn't work that way."

He made no attempt to stop her leaving as she packed a bag and headed out of the door. She kept a key; she would need it to collect the rest of her stuff. At least their lease would be coming to an end soon, and they could go their separate ways amicably. Their bank accounts were separate, so were their drivers insurance. The only thing they had to settle on was the furniture, possibly spousal support. Brenda didn't want anything from Fritz; she just wanted him to be happy, like she was.

Half way down the road, Brenda stopped. There, sitting on a bench was Flynn. "How did he take it?"

"Better than expected, but still bad. What do we do now?"

"Anything we want."

They kissed, before Flynn and Brenda decided to go get some lunch. They had the whole weekend to work out what to do with the rest of their lives, now that they had each other.

X

He had never suspected his first day to go well at UCLA, not after the trauma that had been inflicted on the students over the summer. At least Tommy had an advantage in his mind - he was staying at home so he didn't have to deal with dorm rooms, and he had already served out half a year at Harvard before dropping out. However, the students at UCLA didn't seem to think so and after his little stunt the Friday before his face was known everywhere.

It was welcome week for the new students, and everyone was getting back to the world they had left after Eddie Hanson had plagued their halls. Tommy had taken the bus to school, and within seconds of being there a vat of water had been dumped on his head, courtesy of the football players.

He was making his way down to one of the lecture halls where his schedule said his meet and greet was when he was pushed up against the wall. A football player wearing the Bruins colours was gripping his shirt tight. There were three other football players behind him, and someone Tommy recognised. Jacob Weaver, Keighley's older brother.

"You're not welcome here, kid. You psychotic piece of trash, they should lock you up." Jacob spat in his face. "For all we know you sliced those girls up as well. Did you slice my sister up as well, huh, you freak?"

Jacob punched him in the face, bringing him to the ground. He kicked him first in the crotch, then in the chest. The other football players joined in kicking him, screaming and hollering as they did so. People gathered around, watching as he cried out in pain. He went still for a moment, and the players backed off, wondering if they'd killed him. Tommy used the chance to kick one of the football players in the face, and picked himself up off of the floor.

"Eddie Hanson tried to rape my stepmother, you bastard. You think I want to be associated with him?" Tommy brushed the dirt off of his shirt. Jacob got into his face; he was ready to kill him. Tommy just smiled and pushed Jacob away. "My Dad is the _fucking _Chief of Police, you idiot." He bowed his head for a moment, realising he had to be seen to be the bigger man. "As it is, I am sorry about your sister."

The next thing Tommy remembered was waking up covered in corn syrup, stripped naked and with bruises down his chest. He didn't know where his bag was, his phone and wallet and keys were nowhere to be found. He was on the football field, and it was nearing the end of the day from what he could see. He as alone, apart from a boy watching him.

"They roughed you up pretty good, man."

Tommy coughed. "You going to beat me up too?"

"Nah, I'm not. I'm going to give you a spare set of clothes, going to take you to the ER at UCLA and get you checked out."

The boy dumped a bottle of water over him to get the corn syrup off of his chest. Tommy then slipped into the baggy clothes the boy had given him. Putting his arm around his shoulders, the boy helped Tommy to walk. He could barely do that. The boy looked familiar, but he didn't know from where.

"Jacob shouldn't have done that to you. Especially as he knew Hanson, psycho. We've met a couple of times, actually - I was one of Hanson's TA's from last year, I was running around like a lunatic." They stopped at the bleachers, and the boy put Tommy down. "My name is Danny, Danny Buckingham."

"You're Jennifer's brother."

He nodded. "That would be me. Come on, let's get you checked out."

"You're not going to beat me up, blame me for her?"

Danny shook his head as the taxi cab on the corner drove around to pick them up. "Why? It's not going to bring her back. But, you, we can do something about. Let's make sure they haven't given you a concussion."

Tommy smiled weakly as Danny forced him into the cab. His vision blurred, and he passed out once again.

X

Andy sat in the LAPD Shrink's office, fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket. His right arm was in a cast and a sling so the bones would get back to normal, and his left arm was loose and out. It was painful, but he wouldn't take anything for it. He didn't need anything, not when he knew he was having lunch with Brenda Leigh Johnson later that day, and that when he got home from catching up with FID paperwork, she would be waiting with takeout that they would share.

"Hello Lieutenant - sorry, Captain. Been a while since we've talked, and look at the mess that you've got yourself into," she teased as she sat down. "Would you like something to eat? I've got some chocolate."

"Yes please, the Docs say I've got to keep my blood sugar level up."

Andy ate the chocolate gratefully, wondering what the Doctor was going to bring up. There was a lot to discuss. She decided to pick the obvious one first. "How are you feeling, Andy? Being tortured is a very traumatic experience. Have you been having nightmares, flashbacks?"

He shook his head. "No nightmares, but I've been having flashbacks. I hear something break and my arm twinges. I look at sandwiches and beer bottles and all I can think of is the glass going in and out of Hanson. I look at Sharon…all I can do is see her covered in his blood."

"Chief Johnson let me have a look at the statements that you, Commander Raydor and Tommy Pope gave. It seemed Hanson did what he did to mess with your head - he was going to deliberately rape Sharon Raydor to harm you psychologically."

"Well its working," Andy cursed. "They've got me on a desk till my arm heals. Until the breaks heal I can't do any physiotherapy. I'm just hoping I haven't lost the use of my arm."

The Doctor nodded, and passed Andy some more chocolate. He took it gratefully, it reminded him of Brenda. He felt like he should bring that up with the Doctor. "I'm seeing Chief Johnson now. She left her husband at the weekend, and she's staying with me until she can find a place of her own, or we find a place together."

"Do you think that's wise, Andy?" She made a little note on her pad. "You have been over some intense trauma the past six months - shooting and killing Jimmy Beattie, saving Sharon Raydor twice, and everything with Eddie Hanson. I'm not trying to discourage your relationship with her, Captain. I'm just trying to make sure that you understand that you're on a come down from a very abnormal six months. Your arm still hasn't healed yet - we do a lot of things under stress, and maybe a relationship with a co worker isn't the best thing to be doing while you're still raw."

Andy nodded, not sure what to say to that. There was still plenty left to sort out, like Lana for instance. He had been ignoring her calls after his name had been plastered over the whole of the country. She had wanted to come out, but he had asked his sister to keep her there until he had recovered. Then there was Fritz, and telling her father. But his brain seemed to be capable of understanding all the little trials; he had something amazing as a reward.

"I love Chief Johnson, Doc. She's been the only thing getting me through, has been for years."

They avoided that subject for a while, and focussed more on Andy's promotion and whether he felt he deserved it or not. They also brought up his use of his gun, and how he had trembled the last time he had had to use it. He was a long way from going on active duty, and he understood that. Like his relationship with Brenda, it was a long but rewarding path.

"Thanks Doc, I'll make an appointment for a couple of days. I think it'll help."

"I hope so, Andy, I hope so. Good luck."

Captain Andy Flynn left to go back up to work. The Psychiatrist sat in her office, waiting for her next appointment. She waited for ten minutes and looked to see that Sharon Raydor wasn't there. She waited until the appointment was over and the next officer came into see her. She made a brief note, and wondered if things had got busy at FID, or whether the new Commander was avoiding her.

X

They sat across from each other at the table. Will had taken the morning off from work to go to the meeting, and he doubted Estelle had anywhere to go other than there. Caitlin and Brendan hadn't been told yet, and he hadn't had the heart to tell Tommy what was going on. He had enough to deal with; he didn't need his father's problems on top of everything else. Sharon had wanted to come, but there were so many officer incidents they needed to deal with from over the last six months.

So it was just him, her and their lawyers once again debating where two beautiful children should go.

"Estelle."

"Will."

Her lawyer presented a simple paper document. His lawyer looked it over.

"Estelle wants full custody, but is willing to move back to Los Angeles so you can have them every other weekend." Her lawyer, the same sharp tongued woman from before, smiled in his direction. "Of course your current fiancée Sharon Raydor would have to be away when the children visited, as would your eldest son, Tommy. Estelle believes they could be a bad and potentially dangerous influence on the children."

Will shook his head. "You're crazy. What are my fiancée and my son going to do for an entire weekend while I'm with the kids?"

Estelle looked almost sad at Will, but he didn't care. She was trying to break up the family he had tried for months to put back together. "It's a simple agreement Will. We can even debate holidays if you wish. I know the Mayor wouldn't like his new Chief of Police to be in a custody scandal so soon after being chosen for the position."

Will smirked, putting his hand on his lawyer's arm who wanted to form a rebuttal. But Will wanted to take a stand. "Okay, Estelle, this is how it's going to work. Now you're getting divorced I can start paying you alimony if you want, although I think you should be getting enough from your ex. If you want to move back to LA, then that's great, please do. We can work something out where the kids spend time with you at the weekends, maybe a day or so in the week. But if you think you can disappear for five years and then come back and think they want you in their lives, then you are very mistaken."

"We can take this to a judge, Will. Have your home assessed for possible dangers. Do a psychological profile on your son. I will have my kids back."

He had had enough, and stood up from the desk and walked out. Estelle could take this case to a court, he didn't care. He wasn't going to lose his children; he wasn't going to have them taken away from him. He wouldn't split his family in half.

X

Flynn was getting some money out of his pocket to buy a chocolate bar from the vending machine. He was thinking about what to get for dinner that night when he realised there was someone behind him. He turned, and found himself face to face with Agent Howard. He hadn't seen the man since Saturday, when he had gone to bid farewell to Brenda's parents, knowing full well their daughter was cheating with him.

"Flynn, do you mind if I have a word?" Fritz asked, and the new Captain drew in an intake of breath. This wasn't going to be good.

"Sure."

Fritz leaned his arm over the vending machine that Flynn was against. The FBI Agent was trying to be imposing, showing off his gun and fancy badge when Flynn didn't have anything except his arm in a cast and his badge somewhere in his office.

"So, Brenda's living with you?"

Flynn nodded. "She's sleeping in Sharon's old room. We're…"

Fritz laughed, bashing his hand against the vending machine. "You're trying to make things easier on everyone? By not sleeping with her straight away, is that it? Must eat you up inside, Lieutenant, that you spent so much time trying to seduce my wife with your calm understanding persona and yet she won't screw your brains out."

Flynn pushed away from the vending machine and looked over to the man who wanted the woman he loved. "It's _Captain_, Agent Howard. And you can try and provoke me; you can poison my relationship with her all you like. But at the end of the day, _this_ alcoholic got the girl."

"Try and keep her."

Andy looked at Agent Howard. He had a glint in his eye, and his hand was resting on his gun. He wanted to know what the hell he was talking about, but knew it would bring them nothing but trouble. However, Fritz seemed to be in a talking mood, and decided to explain his words.

"You think you can keep her satisfied, Flynn? At your age? I mean there was a bit of an age gap between us, but not _twelve years_. Brenda likes sex, Flynn; she likes being out there and getting her hands dirty. Can you keep up with her? Because that's what being with Brenda is about, keeping up with her. And with your current injury and your age… we both want what's best for Brenda, and if she doesn't want to be with me, then I've got to accept that. But I don't know what makes _you _think you're worth her."

"We understand each other, we get that work is important. We don't wipe everything off at the end of the day," Flynn tried to fight back, but the pain in his arm was becoming all consuming.

"That's true, you've got that. But is that all you have, and what happens when you retire, Flynn, maybe sooner than you think. And you're sitting at home waiting for her, getting calls about her being on another case and she comes home at three o'clock in the morning, then you'll understand what it's like to be in love with her and try anything to save what you have. It's not enough to share cases and love the job. Before you make any permanent life changes, Flynn, ask if that's _all _you have."

Another FBI Agent called for Fritz's attention and he left Flynn alone. He knew the words should wash over him, knew they were intended to get inside his head and make him doubt their relationship. But as pain clouded his vision, the words tangled themselves into knots and he couldn't see a way out of the doubts that played through his mind.

X

Will collapsed face first into the bed when he finally got home from work. All his children had already been put to bed. The only person left was his fiancée brushing her teeth in the bathroom. He turned over and watched as she came through the doors in one of his shirts. She looked absolutely beautiful.

"Hey, how were things today?" Sharon kissed him on the cheek and curled under the covers. He lay back next to her, teasing her hair with his fingers.

"They were as bad as expected. She wanted the kids, I told her that she couldn't swan in and act like a parent when she chose too." He sighed, rolling over and pulling off his clothes. His jacket and shoes ended up on the floor. "We need to tell the kids, and soon. Estelle will be asking to see them, and I want them and Tommy forewarned."

Sharon rested her hand on Will's arm. "Another thing we've got to deal with - Tommy's first day at UCLA. He ended up at UCLA hospital with a ton of bruises. Keighley Weaver's brother kicked him about with some jocks. Ironically it was another one of the girl's brother's who saved him."

"Where is he now?"

"Asleep. I made some dinner, and he ate something before going to bed. I don't know what to do with him, if he quits then he'll regret it. Of course if he stays he could end up as a corpse."

Will sighed and buried his face in his pillow once again. He didn't know what to do either - maybe he could talk to one of his officers about accompanying Tommy inconspicuously to his classes? Groaning, he left the bed and pulled off his shirt and then kicked off his trousers. Kicking off his boxers, he found a fresh pair and a t-shirt.

"I feel like I could sleep forever," Will stated as he got into bed beside Sharon. "You okay hon?"

"I'm fine, just tired. Catching up and fixing all of Brody's mistakes is a lot bigger than anticipated."

Will switched off the light and curled up next to his fiancée. He loved saying that - fiancée. She was going to be his wife. He smiled into the curve of her neck as he held her close. She softened at his approach, and it suddenly hit him how everything had changed in the last six months. Before they would curl up and talk and touch each other in the dark. Now, it was very stiff, even more so after Hanson. Since she had come back, they had only shared a bed a handful of times, made love only once. It would be hard for both of them to come back from what had happened this year, but they would. They were too strong not too.

He kissed her cheek, reaching for her hands as he spooned her. "I love you."

Sharon sighed against him, and he smiled. They would be okay. She took one of his hands and interlocked it with her own. He opened his eyes when he realised she had moved their hands together to rest on her upper thigh. Gulping, he leaned into her as she ran their hands slowly up her leg and in to her inner thigh. He could feel how warm she was, and he moaned softly in her ear.

"Sharon, you don't have to do this. We can wait a bit longer, take things slow…" his words of reassurance drifted off as he found their hands move upwards into her centre, spreading her apart.

She moaned as he touched her, moved by her hands to directly where she needed him. But she soon trusted him to touch her where he knew she liked it. Her hand moved upwards to stroke his cheek. He kissed her neck delicately, not wanting to cause her any pain. Slowly, he leaned over to unbutton her shirt, still kissing her neck. She wanted his hands back, but he wanted her naked against him.

"You…" he couldn't even finish the thought before Sharon was kissing him. She knew what he was going to say, and although she didn't believe it, when she was around him she felt like she did.

He pulled the shirt away from her and covered her with his body. His kisses were light, teasing on her neck and collar bone, and his hands moved over her breasts, stroking them. Her hands balled his t-shirt, and he shucked it off his body. He pulled off the boxer shorts and pressed Sharon flush against him.

"I want you, Will. I need you, baby."

She needed him to prove that she wasn't a whore, that she didn't like being raped. Will's kisses were light and gentle - he had read the reports, read her mind. He knew what she needed. Both their hands teased her while he kissed her, taking their time. They were in no hurry, and if nothing more than building her to an orgasm happened neither was going to complain.

His fingers stroked her clit, while his tongue traced the edge of her lips. They kissed again as his fingers moved inside her, causing her to groan. She wanted this so badly, to just fall apart in his arms slowly, delicately. He built her up, touching places that she had forgotten she had. Her moans grew breathy, and Will covered her mouth with his. She came apart; crying out his name.

Will kissed his way over her shoulders, and Sharon swivelled her leg over so she was pressed against his hard and waiting crotch. Slowly Will pushed into her, being careful of her still bruised hips. He rocked against her gently, letting a gentle rhythm build between the two of them. Slowly he started to get more aroused as Sharon kissed his neck, letting her fingers trail down his body. They both came, whispering the other's name to each other like a prayer.

Afterwards, Will kissed Sharon harder than he dared; wanting her to know that it was going to be okay. He changed back into his pyjamas, and she fished out a pair of her own from one of her bags. They slept together in the sheets, content.

X

Andy made his way home after his long day, his mind still going round in circles about the filth Fritz had spewed. He wanted to believe it wasn't true, that they could finally get a happy ending now they were together, but his mind refused the fairytale. Pope and Sharon were never getting their happy ever after - what Hanson and Jimmy did would scar them. He put his key in the lock, wondering which take out place they should order from tonight. He loved to cook, but until his arm healed properly he couldn't do anything.

"Anyone home?" Andy asked, before turning around to face what met him in the apartment.

Brenda was home before him. The pillows and cushions from both the living room and their bedrooms were laid out all over the floor, as were six million candles. There was Chinese takeout with her, and a smile painted on her face. Her eyes looked nervous. She was wearing a slip of a black dress, and Andy watched her beautiful legs as she rose to greet him.

"Hi."

"Hello yourself." She kissed him, taking her time to map his mouth. Her lips sucked on his bottom one, her tongue stroked a line through the middle of his. His good hand grasped her hip and pushed her towards him awkwardly, but she moaned at the contact.

He opened his eyes, looking at the woman he loved. "What's all this for?"

"Because we're together, and I want to move on. I want to be with you Andy, and you know how impatient I am. When I want something, I have to have it. I've waited as long as I can for you. I want you now."

She took his tie and dragged him over to where she had laid the pillows. Brenda kissed his neck and took great enjoyment in pulling off his jacket and undoing the tie he had insisted on wearing to work. She brought the Chinese over and they ate, talking about whatever they wanted. Andy talked about sports and Brenda talked about films and they shared gossip and once all the food had gone, they continued to talk, with Andy stroking Brenda's hip through the thin material of her dress.

"So…" Brenda started and Andy laughed.

First times were always awkward, getting that rhythm. It was moving past something, crossing over a line. They had known each other for six years, been friends for so long and lovers for barely a blink of an eye. It didn't help matters that Andy had his arm in a cast either.

"Come here."

Andy propped himself up against the pillows and patted his lap. Brenda moved over, straddling his upper legs. Both took a deep breath and leant in to kiss the other. She gasped as his hand tangled in her hair, and then moved down to graze her breasts. He opened his eyes and took a deep look at her, and then moved his hand to push the dress up. Brenda helped him out by raising the hemline of the dress and pushing it over her body, leaving her nearly naked.

Brenda had never felt sexier, or more desired. The look in Andy's face, the longing and lust when he saw her made her gulp. He looked over her with appreciative eyes, lingering on her round breasts, shapely legs and her pink lace underwear that was currently resting over his crotch. His mouth and hand decided to go for a wander - his mouth concentrating on her neck while his hand palmed a breast, rolling the nipple.

"Oh…god…" Brenda whispered as Andy's fingers trailed lightly over her stomach and down between her legs. They slipped under her underwear and stroked her clit. Andy kept her gaze, and enjoyed watching her face curl up in pleasure.

After agonising minutes of his fingers lightly stroking her, Brenda reached for his shirt. She was careful of his arm, his wounds, but soon his chest was bare. She nuzzled him, kissing down his chest. She reached for his belt buckle and soon he was divested of his trousers.

"I love you, Andy Flynn," Brenda announced solemnly, but soon she was giggling as Andy's good hand flipped her over onto the pillows.

Lying on her back, blonde hair splayed out like a halo, Andy kissed her. "I love you too."

His hands trailed down her stomach and slowly pulled away the last strip of clothing she wore. She blushed as he watched her, taking all of her in. To make things more even, she pulled down his boxer shorts, cupping his arse in the process.

His fingers teased her, taunted her as her orgasm built inside her. Kissing her, Andy made sure his arm was at a safe angle before he entered her. Groaning at how wet she was, he halted to get accustomed. She put her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist and forced him further into her, pushing her into oblivion.

When she came for the first time with him, she couldn't stop calling his name. He followed soon after, the pleasure melting away the pain of his arm for the first time in days. They laid together on the pillows, Brenda resting against his good arm. He kissed her forehead, and Brenda moved over to find a duvet she had taken from their bedrooms. They talked for a while longer, about what they liked, what they didn't until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

X

Estelle was unpacking her belongings in her hotel room, and glancing over to the real estate brochures she had picked up that morning. She would need to find a house big enough for her two kids as they grew into teenagers and a workshop for her so she could continue on with her clay work. As she flicked another page, there was a knock at the door. Putting her dresses back on the bed, Estelle went to the door.

There, waiting for her, was her ex husband's fiancée. They had probably met briefly while she had been married to Will, but she had never given her much thought. Now, Estelle looked her over. Brown hair loose over her shoulders. Green eyes covered with fading bruises. Slightly pregnant stomach over a barely there frame. Two tattoos on her left arm. Estelle wondered what Will saw in her.

"Estelle? Hi, I'm Sharon Raydor, Will's fiancée. I was wondering if we could talk."

She let the pregnant cop come in and sit down in the vanity chair. Estelle had no idea what the brunette wanted to talk about, but no doubt she was here to change her mind about applying for custody of the kids.

"I understand you wanting to be with your kids, Caitlin and Brendan are amazing people. You have to understand though that they like being with Will and me, and with Tommy. They're looking forward to having a baby sister."

"Is she your first?" Estelle asked, and Sharon eagerly nodded. "Then you don't know what it's like to have kids and be away from them. I was blinded, but now I see that there is nothing more important than them. You can't understand."

Sharon stood up, turning to face Estelle. "No, I don't understand what it's like to be a parent away from a child. But I know what it's like to be a child away from a parent - my mother abandoned me when I was two years old, choosing another man and another family over me and my father. I never forgave her. But unlike my Mom, you've come back, and that's good. But you can't expect their bond with their father to just disappear overnight. Will is an amazing father, an amazing man."

Estelle snorted and looked towards the Commander. She truly believed what she was saying: she wondered if she knew the truth about the man she called 'amazing'. She decided to enlighten her.

"Will is a cop, and he _always _puts his job first. You've been together a year or so? I've known Will for over a decade. I was married to him for eight years. You know where he was the night Caitlin was born? At work. The night Brendan was born? At work. Tommy? At work, or fucking one of the interns in DC. In the end all his relationships come down to one thing - what they can give him. Sex, a façade, kids. You'll be together for the next six months just until his term is on its way and then he'll cheat on you with some blonde little thing with a southern accent."

Sharon started to laugh. She put her hands on her hips, showing the scars on her arms and hands to Estelle. The other woman looked over the burn scars, the healing wounds on her hands. "You don't know Will; you don't know the man he is now. You leaving him has changed him for the better. You got to think why he even married you in the first place if he was sleeping with Jean and Brenda at the same time, can't be much of an attraction."

Estelle slapped her. The wounds hit her bruises, causing her to hiss. But that had been the desired response - she wasn't going to let her ruin Will, take her family down; and she most certainly wasn't going to let her spew rubbish about her fiancé. However, Estelle wasn't done yet.

"You think he wants _you_? Really? Maybe last year he did, before you became damaged goods. Court the rape victim, that'll get him a lot of support. But in the end he'll leave you, once he sees that bastard child you're carrying."

Sharon smacked her in the mouth, causing Estelle to stumble back against the wall. "You're venom, poison. I won't let you near Caitlin or Brendan, I promise you that."

She left the hotel room, realising that she had just hit their mother. Of course Estelle had hit her first, but Sharon had always been able to pack a punch. She walked down the steps of the hotel, tired and upset. She would have to tell Will what she had done and pray that she had not made the situation worse.

"When did everything become such a mess," Sharon muttered to herself as she climbed down the steps and into the foyer.

It was only when she took a moment to check her phone and the missed calls from Claudia and Simon that she realised what hotel she was in. She had been in it nearly two weeks before to ask Sam for the address to where Tommy and Andy were. She could see Sam's men milling around the hotel, and she counted the number of paces it would take her to get to the exit. She couldn't see Sam anywhere, maybe he had gone to the bathroom or off to kill another wife.

"Hello Sharon."

She would recognise the voice anywhere, and it made her legs tremble. A tear slipped down her cheek as the hand the voice belonged to covered her mouth and dragged her back into the stairwell of the hotel, her screams inaudible to the other hotel patrons.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

_LA Times, 14__th__ September 2010 [page 3]_

_TROUBLE FOR NEW CHIEF_

_It seems the new Chief of the LAPD is in trouble when he's barely been two weeks into the job. Since his appointment he hasn't chosen his new Assistant Chief, something that sources and officials say should have been done within days of him being appointed to get the LAPD back to a sense of normalcy. However this has not been done, and instead this has left a power vacuum in the LAPD that is waiting to be filled by someone. _

_However, more personal news is troubling the new Chief of Police, Will Pope. In 2006 he divorced his second wife and gained custody of their two children. It seems that the relationship between the Hanson case and the Chief's alleged girlfriend, Commander Sharon Raydor, is causing waves and the former Mrs Pope is seeking custody of their two children. _

_Reports suggest that the former Mrs Pope is claiming that the dangerous lifestyle led by the Chief's alleged girlfriend is cause for concern. Also, Hanson's former student and the Chief's eldest son Tommy Pope is said to be under scrutiny by the Court over his relationship with serial killer Eddie Hanson and a supposed suicide attempt earlier in the year. Custody proceedings continue tomorrow in front of a judge as he hears testimony over which parent should keep the two young children. _

_A representative for both Chief Pope and the LAPD refused to comment. _

_Washington Post, 16__th__ June 1995 [page 8]_

_TRAGEDY FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICER _

_Tragedy struck yesterday in the capital as the family of a government official was murdered in their home. _

_Maggie Carpenter and their two children Bernadette and Peter were found murdered in their house - victims of an apparent robbery. DC police are not giving out too many details, but it is thought that Mrs Carpenter was raped as well. Mrs Carpenter's husband, Wes Carpenter of Homeland Security, was not at the house at the time of the murder but has been ruled out as a suspect as he was at work at the time. _

_Neither Mr Carpenter, nor the DC police were available for comment. _

_Washington Post, 15__th__ June 2005_

_NO LEADS TEN YEARS ON [page 16]_

_It was the story that shocked those in government, and those who knew the family. A loving, well liked suburban family was brutally murdered in their home after an apparent robbery. The husband, an official at the Department of Homeland Security, was the only survivor. _

_At the time the DC police force looked into people who might have had a grudge against Wes Carpenter or his wife, an advocate for pro choice. However despite many suspects no arrest was ever made. Since then Wes Carpenter has dropped off the map - selling his family home in 1996 and disappearing. Interviewing friends and family reveal nothing about what happened to the man who came home to nothing. _

_It seems these horrible murders will remain unanswered for. _

X

She was dragged up to a hotel room and flung on the bed like some cheap whore. Sam ran to the door and turned the dead bolt, locking them inside. Sharon massaged her throat where Sam had had his grip, and concentrated on getting out of the situation alive. She had seen the look in Sam's eyes many a time before, and it had never ended well for her. This was usually when he forced himself upon her, and Sharon tried to keep the bile down in her throat.

"So, you don't call, you don't write. And I open the papers and see you being the 'alleged girlfriend' of this guy?" He flung a newspaper with Will's picture down in front of her. In a smaller photo was one of them at the first memorial service.

"Fuck you, I owe you nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, last time I checked kidnapping was a crime."

Sharon shifted herself off of the bed, only for Sam to get in the way. He pushed her up against the wall, and raised the hem of her shirt. Sharon pushed his hand away, her nails digging into his skin. He hissed, and she smiled triumphantly at him. There was no way in hell he would ever have his hands on her again.

"Just answer me this - Will Pope. Chief of Police, Will Pope. He your boyfriend?" Sam reached for her hand, the engagement ring sparkling on her finger. "Never thought you for one to sleep your way to the top, Sharon. Least of all like this. Pope? That righteous boy scout promising to lead this city to a better tomorrow. The little story you told me was not accurate, Sharon, you said a friend was in trouble with Hanson, not your future step son."

"Would that have changed your mind, Sam? Would you have still helped me?"

He smacked his hand down against the wall in front of her. His pupils dilated at the sight of her powerless and shaking in front of him. She swallowed down more bile. "Of course it would have changed my mind! You and me, Sharon. We're meant to be together. We can be with other people, get married but in the end you and me, we're linked together. Like Romeo and Juliet."

"More like Bonnie and Clyde. Or some serial killer that forces his wife to be part of it all."

"I'm not a killer," Sam growled, resting his hands either side of Sharon. Her breath quickened, she was terrified.

But she remembered how she felt when Hanson was on top of her, when he was reaching for her waist. She promised never to be weak again, and she didn't plan to. She saw Sam gaze over her body, and she reached up for his chin to wrench his face to her eyes. She couldn't beat Sam in physical strength, he would always overpower her. But she had something she had yet to tell him.

"I'm pregnant, Sam."

He back pedalled immediately, and Sharon was glad of the relief. Despite being a homicidal maniac, Sam had always wanted kids. "Is it Pope's? Or that monster's?"

"Does it matter?"

He smacked his hand against the wall again, forcing himself into her space. "Of course it matters! I always wanted children with you, Sharon; I wanted a family for so long. If its Jimmy Beattie's I can understand, but if its Pope's and you planned to have a child…"

He looked so hurt, so betrayed. Sharon liked seeing that look on his face. "Sam, I was pregnant with your child, back when we were married."

Sam looked up from his moment of thought and turned to her, his eyes bright. He looked so hopeful; he barely noticed the word choices she made. She calculated the distance to the door, the time it would take to unlock the bolt. She had one chance at this, or she was dead.

"I was pregnant, with a son. The night you ripped up my back, the night you tortured me - I miscarried. He was perfectly healthy until that night. You killed our son."

Her calculations were right, and a look of shock ran over Sam's face. He immediately went to the bathroom to throw up, and Sharon rushed out the door as quickly as she could. She kept running through the hotel, her cheeks stained with tears. She left her car there, just found a cab and gave him the address to Will's. As soon as she got through the door she locked all the bolts and collapsed against it, crying.

X

Will came home early from work, determined to have a better day. He had planned it all out - get some take out, rent some films. A family day. And then, afterwards, he would tell his kids that their mother was trying to tear their family apart. The front door had the dead bolt across it, so he went in through the back, wondering if everyone was okay.

He came into the sitting room to find Sharon with what appeared to be a glass of wine. However, the juice bottle by her told him otherwise. He went around the sofa to see Sharon shaken, finger marks on her arms.

"Babe, Sharon - what the hell happened?"

She put down her glass and wiped her eyes. Her legs pulled back into her chest, not wanting him to get any closer. She didn't want anyone to touch her right now. "I tried to help, Will, believe that. But nothing turns out the way it's supposed to."

"Honey, you're not making any sense," Will whispered, stroking her hair. Neither of them noticed Caitlin and Brendan moving onto the landing, along with Tommy who had skipped school, still recovering from his first day. They wanted to know what was going on, what had happened to Sharon.

"I went and saw Estelle today, thought I could persuade her not to take Caitlin and Brendan away. But we got into an argument and I hit her."

"You did what?" Will moved from Sharon's side and grasped his head, groaning in agony. "Damn it, Sharon, how could you be so…so… she is going to use this as an excuse to take Caitlin and Brendan away from us! Babe…"

"Before you call me an idiot, I know what I did was wrong. But she called Andie a bastard child. And she did hit me first, when I said you didn't really love her. So I guess we're both in the wrong, but at least she'll have a bruise to live with," Sharon spat, reaching back for her glass, wishing it was wine. Her hand was still shaking.

Will rested a hand against Sharon's cheek, apologetic. "I'm sorry babe; I understand why you did it. Next time I see Estelle, I'll yell at her for daring to comment on our baby girl. Is that all that happened, Sharon? Honestly?"

"Estelle's in town, huh?"

The two adults looked over to see Caitlin, Brendan and Tommy watching them, hurt. Brendan was confused, Caitlin looked angry and Tommy was worried. The youngest rushed over to hug Sharon, and she gripped on tight to the girl. Brendan stayed by his brother, but happily hugged his father when he approached them.

"Your Mom wants to get custody of you, and let me see you guys every other weekend. But she thinks that Sharon and Tommy are bad for you, so she isn't going to let you see them anymore."

Caitlin turned to Sharon, resting her head on her shoulder. "You said you hit my Mom. Was she mean to you?"

Sharon remembered the rule that Tommy and Will had instilled, where they didn't insult Estelle in front of the kids, wanting to let them make up their own opinion. But after the day she had, Sharon didn't want to play nice. "Your Mom and me came to a mutual disagreement and unfortunately blows were thrown. But the next time I see your Mom, I will apologise."

"Don't. She doesn't deserve it," Caitlin muttered before snuggling closer to Sharon.

Tommy, as expected, didn't stay and just walked back up the stairs to his bedroom. Brendan joined him, and Will hit his head against the wall. He didn't know what else to say, except he was fighting to keep his family. He looked over to see that Caitlin was almost nodding off against Sharon. His daughter had spent half her life in a male only household, she barely remembered living with two parents. All she truly remembered was a mother who cared more about her husband than she did about her children.

"Oh, did I mention that Sam tried to kidnap and rape me today?" Sharon mentioned from the sofa, her hand shaking so much that the glass dropped to the floor. Caitlin opened her eyes at the noise and Will asked her to go upstairs.

Will held her, trying to shake her from the shock she was in. She relayed the events in the hotel room, a few tears making their way onto his arm. If he ever got his hands on Sam Broker, he would rip him limb from limb.

X

This wasn't the best place to be spending such a bright Tuesday afternoon, but he knew this was the next logical step in his investigation of Julian Brody. He had asked Eddie and Ian to keep a lid on things in Internal Facades while he went to Folsom to talk to someone he hadn't seen in a while, or even heard his name mentioned. They had been a bit too busy of late to worry about old cases.

He waited behind a glass partition as he saw Jake Webster come down the hallway, looking extremely fetching in an orange jumpsuit and flanked by two guards. He smirked when he saw Stephen Mitchell in front of him, but there was a flinch in there too. Stephen was glad he still inspired fear amongst the youngest that the LAPD had to offer, and then throw out.

"How you doing, Jake? Some tough gang member make you his pretty boy yet?"

Webster snarled, but Mitchell could keep them coming. He remembered photographs and descriptions from the trial, remembered seeing him the morning after his escape from the transit. Daddy's boy turned felon. No plush prison cell and a sentence based simply on multiple accounts of assault that were pared down. His continual attempted murder charges and escape attempts were going to keep him behind bars for the next twenty years.

"How is Captain Raydor doing? She okay?" Webster asked, seeming sincere in his voice. He had been one of the first to know that she had been raped, and he supposed he felt guilty for his actions. Mitchell smiled - he was wondering if the properties of Transferred Intent would cause Webster to be guilty for her rape after all. But he put those thoughts aside; he was after a bigger fish than Jake Webster.

"She's fine. I'm here to help you, Jake. You're in here for twenty years, but we both know you won't last that long. Someone told me that you were stabbed in the leg a couple of weeks ago, it won't be long before someone stabs you where there is a lot of blood loss."

Finally Jake Webster broke down. Mitchell felt sorry for the young boy who had everything taken away from him, but then remembered all that he had done to the people who Mitchell cared for. If Jimmy Beattie hadn't got to Sharon Raydor that night, Jake Webster would have done.

"I need your help, please get me out of here. PLEASE."

Mitchell passed over a piece of paper and a pen. "I can talk to the DA; see about getting your sentence cut down by a few years, maybe five. With good behaviour and parole you could be out in ten."

"That all you can do? I'M GOING TO DIE IN HERE!"

He tried not to laugh at the boy, but it came out as a snarl. "Don't forget, Webster, what you did to that boy, and to Sharon Raydor. You deserve to be in here, Webster, but I know that the last attempt you made you had help. Your fellow officers are in prison with you, but there is a mastermind behind it. Give me a name, and if he gets behind bars then I can see about transferring you to somewhere where you can live out your twenty years in peace."

"What about paring down the sentence! Ten years, you said!"

Mitchell shook his head and started to leave. Webster's cries called him back, and Mitchell looked at him. Prison had broken him; he was no longer the same confident young man. "Name. Now."

Webster wrote down the name and passed it over. "He had everything in place; he wanted me out of prison and after Raydor. You've got the name, now _help me!"_

"I'll see what I can do."

Mitchell gathered his things and looked towards the name on the piece of paper. _Julian Brody_. Just as he suspected. He had to get a few more pieces of evidence and then he could arrest the man for the crimes he needed to be held accountable for.

X

Andy Flynn had woken up in his bed with a beautiful blonde lying next to him. They had made love again the night before, enjoying being with the other. He'd never had sex like it, but then he had never been in love quite like this before. She had a new case to work on, and he had tons of paperwork so he had left her a note, a kiss and the promise of a romantic dinner when they got home from work. He bought doughnuts and headed over to pick up Sharon Raydor.

The LA weather was nice, and it looked to be a very good Wednesday. As the cab dropped him off opposite, he noticed two figures standing on the kerb outside the Pope household, each with a backpack. Getting closer, he realised it was Brendan and Caitlin.

"Planning to hitch to Disneyland?"

The kids were silent. Flynn sat down on the kerb and offered them a pastry each. They took off their backpacks and ate the doughnuts, laughing at the sugar they were getting on their chins. Flynn saw that they were both in their school uniform, and it was too early to go to school.

"So, you two going to fill me in on what's going on, or do I have to guess?" He smiled at them, drinking some of his coffee. "Sharon's expecting twins? Tommy's going back to DC? Come on, you can trust me guys. I'm a police officer, and even better, I've known Sharon since she joined the LAPD. If you trust her you can trust me."

Brendan piped up. "Our Mom wants to get custody of us; she wants to take us away from Dad."

"I see." Flynn sighed, offering them both another doughnut. They took it eagerly. "You know, these things can be tough, but your Dad's a good guy, he'll get to keep you."

"Dad was saying that Mom wants us to keep away from Sharon and Tommy. Like they're bad for us or something. She's the one who is bad for us; she's the one who can't stand us," Caitlin snarled, taking out her water bottle and offering it to Brendan.

The front door of the Pope home opened and Andy smiled as Sharon padded out in shorts and a t-shirt. Flynn passed her a doughnut and she joined the kids in sitting down on the kerb. "You guys running away?"

"Would be easier on everyone - then you, Tommy and Andie could be a family with Dad. That way no one would get hurt, and Dad would be happy."

Flynn shook his head, waving the end of his bear claw at Caitlin. "Now running away doesn't make anyone happy. Your Dad wants all of you, not just some of you. We know this, we've run away plenty of times. We ran away in February, and we ran away when we were kids. How many times did you run away from your foster homes?" Andy teased, remembering the long conversations they had had while staying with each other. The kids giggled, and Sharon hit him on his good arm.

"About six. What Andy is trying to say and what your Dad tried to last night is that although your Mom is very special and I know you love her, your Dad isn't going to let her have full custody of you, unless that's what you want."

"No, I don't want to live with Mom. I like living here," Brendan admitted. "I like someone who understands," he turned his gaze on Sharon, and she remembered how nervous he had been about starting school. It seemed that both Pope boys were getting into fights for standing up to people.

"I'd miss Lieutenant Provenza if we left - he always gives me chocolate when we see him."

Both Andy and Sharon laughed - Caitlin Pope was probably the first person to actually be enamoured with Provenza! The front door opened again and Will and Tommy came out with a picnic blanket and breakfast things. Both kids hugged their father and they started having breakfast on the front garden.

Soon, Will was asking all three of his kids to get ready for school - Tommy was going to go in today. He was being picked up by Danny, although Sharon and Andy wanted to avoid him for now until Tommy knew him better. Both of them still felt guilty over Jennifer, Danny's sister. Just as the kids were ready to go to school, a car parked up in front of the house.

Estelle came out of the front door, although no one was surprised by that. They all knew she would come around sooner or later to see her children. She was sporting a nice black eye, and Sharon tried to act sorry over what she had done, but all that came out was a half smile.

"Morning, Will. Hi kids!"

Both of them stayed with their father by the car, not wanting to go near their mother. Caitlin just shook her head at her mother and opened the back door to sit inside. Brendan joined his sister and sat next to her on the back seat.

"You told them," Estelle stated.

"Yeah, I told them. They weren't very happy about their mother who hasn't cared about them in ages turning up and trying to take them. Can't imagine why."

Will moved to take his children to school, but Estelle got in his way. She pointed to her eye. "You see this? Your precious little fiancée did this to me. You know I'm filing criminal charges against her, assault! I'm also trying to see if I can get the kids into my emergency custody. This is obvious a violent household."

Flynn started laughing from behind her. She turned around to face him, to see who the intruder was. This was a personal matter, although she assumed he was a friend of Sharon and Will's - he was wearing a badge on his hip and a cast on his arm.

"Well they wouldn't go into your custody; they would go into foster care. Today's foster system, it's rough. Plus, Sharon says you hit her first, so her defending herself is acceptable if she felt threatened for her and for her baby. So, suck it."

Will hit his head against the car door, not liking Flynn's turn of phrase. But he was sticking up for his friend, his commanding officer. He couldn't fault him for doing so. "Estelle, how about we schedule a meeting for sometime this week, you can have dinner with the kids and we can discuss this like actual adults and listen to what our children want."

Estelle seemed to think it over before shaking her head. She passed Will a piece of paper. "We've got a judicial hearing this afternoon on this case, tell your lawyer. I've pushed through the custody hearing because they need to be in a safe environment. And as you can see, Tommy has also been summoned for a court ordered psychiatric evaluation." She waved goodbye to her kids in the car, who refused to look at her. "I'll see you in Court."

Flynn, Sharon and Tommy looked to the floor as Estelle walked back to her car. Tommy was fuming, and threw his summons to the ground. Will collapsed against the driver's side door, and turned to them, his day already bad from the get go. "I can understand where she's coming from."

"Hell?" Tommy sniped, picking up his backpack.

"If I lost my kids I'd do whatever I could to see them again," Will muttered.

"The difference is, Will, you'd do what's best for them, Estelle is doing what's best for her," Sharon said, kissing him lightly before making her way over to Flynn, who was calling a cab for work.

All of them knew it was far from over, but they had somewhere else to be that day. Estelle could wait till later, the safety of LA citizens came first.

X

Brenda had got the call and rushed to her old house. She didn't know why Fritz needed to see her so urgently, but she had gone as quick as she could. She still cared for him, and wanted to know what was going on. The case she was working on wasn't that interesting, a simple murder in the Hollywood hills. Gabriel had it covered until she returned; she wasn't going to be very long.

When she got there, she found a moving truck. She just hoped it wasn't all her belongings that Fritz was offloading into the van; she wasn't ready to throw everything into Flynn's place yet. Although she could understand Fritz's urgency to do so, living with all of your ex's belongings in the house you once shared was almost torture.

However when she got closer to the van she saw that it was just Fritz's stuff that they were uploading. He came out in his civilian clothes, directing where all his things should go. He eventually turned around to face Brenda, smiling at her.

"Hey Brenda.

"Hey, Fritz." She reached over and gave him a brief hug. It was tense, awkward. Brenda imagined that was how it was going to be from now on, although there was nothing either one could do about it. They were just in different places, and she was with Flynn.

"What's going on?" Brenda asked, wondering why she had been summoned.

Fritz smiled, and handed her his key. She looked at him strangely. "This morning I got a job offer at Behavioural Science. I never thought another job would come up again, and I…I just had to take it, Brenda. This job is a blessing, and I've always wanted to do this." He smiled at her sadly. "I'm moving to DC, so I'm packing up everything. Already found a place there I'll move in to - I start on Monday. I thought as you and Flynn are already getting your fresh start then so should I."

Brenda nodded, and Fritz led her into the house. All his belongings were gone. Brenda wondered about the state of their marriage that it was so easy to split everything in two - most of the furniture had been hers, and he had had to leave a lot but not all of his stuff in the garage. She could recognise what was hers from her homes in Atlanta and DC, what she had picked up along the way.

"The lease runs out in two weeks, I checked. So you can lease for another year, or move all your things in with Flynn. Or he could move in here," Fritz suggested, his voice grating on his words.

"You're being awfully kind about this, Fritz. Thank you."

"What use is fighting, trying to get between you two? By the way, did you know you've got a hickey on your neck?"

He didn't say anything more to her, just took the rest of his stuff and left. There was a forwarding address by the phone, somewhere where she could send the divorce papers once she got around to filing. She sat down on the space where a chair used to be, and looked around at half the house she now had. It felt odd, that her marriage had just come to a full stop. No arguments, no desire to keep the house. Fritz was moving across the country to be away from her, and Brenda could understand why. She had fallen in love with a colleague; a man who had the same flaw that Fritz always believed would drive them apart.

She called Flynn, and he said he would come over as soon as he could. But Brenda made arrangements to stay with him for one more night. She didn't want to sleep here alone.

X

Tommy's second day at UCLA was better than his first. No one had beaten him up, not with Danny by his side. The senior was taking care of him, making sure he wasn't to be touched. He could see Jacob Weaver and some of the other guys on campus upset by what was going on, but Danny and Tommy just went to the appropriate induction events, filled in some forms. It was quiet, calm - just the way he wanted it to be.

"You know, Jacob and his cronies are just one faction of the guys on campus. You're a hot commodity; you've already got a name for yourself."

"Like Harry freaking Potter," Tommy joked, and Danny laughed.

"Some of the frat guys will try and recruit you; some of the sororities will try and seduce you. You're a miniature celebrity, at least to the ones who aren't scared of you," Danny explained as he took him on a walk through the campus accommodation. Tommy appreciated the guide and the advice, but he just wanted to keep his head down and study. It's what he was there for, after all.

Tommy decided to take Danny to lunch at Otto's, mostly to keep his mind off the evaluation he had to give that afternoon. He would always get a table now he was going to be Sharon's step son, and also because he was continuing his work at the garage at weekends.

"Hey guys."

"Grandpa, its Tommy!" Mina rushed from behind the counter and flung her arms around him. "You asshole, where you been? Even my Aunt's been around to show her face and to make us believe she's not dead. Asshole." She slapped his arm. "Who's your friend?"

Tommy smiled at Mina talking rapidly, missing the spunky brunette. "Mina, Danny. Danny, this is Mina, my partner in crime when it comes to cars."

Mina got them food and drinks, and the two boys discussed cars and the races that went on in Los Angeles. Tommy could talk for hours, and Mina threw in a few words about the races she'd competed in. Alex came in from the garage and grasped his hand when he saw him, and chastised his baby sister for not getting back to work. Then the doors banged open and Danny turned his head to see the UCLA football players and Jacob Weaver come through the door. They waved hands at Alex, obviously an associate of theirs. Then their eyes turned towards Tommy, who was trying to eat his lunch as inconspicuously as he possibly could.

"Wow, shouldn't you have learnt your lesson by now, boy? You're not wanted here," Jacob cursed, going over to see Tommy. He smiled at the bruises on his face, but Tommy just kept eating his lunch, ignoring the man in front of him.

Jacob didn't appreciate the disregard Tommy was giving him. He moved to start something, but Alex stepped in front of his friend. "Weaver, you're a good customer, but Tommy is family. Don't think I won't fuck you up if you try and get at him. Now move on, we'll have no trouble here."

Jacob and his friends left, although a couple of them blew kisses at Mina and made lewd suggestions. She ran after them and pushed them out the door, slamming the door in their face before giving them the finger. Mina had been raised with Sharon Raydor as an aunt, and a grandfather who raced with gangsters and criminals. Tommy was slightly scared of her.

"Sorry guys," Tommy announced to the group.

Otto came out of the kitchen, thinking about the few times he had had to kick someone out of his place. He shook his head and rested a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You're family. That means more than you understand."

Tommy and Danny ate the rest of their lunch in peace, until he looked up at the clock and realised it was time to go see the Court shrink. If he could get through today he would be fine, but he didn't know if he could do that much.

X

He had to be at Court fairly soon to see off Estelle and her goons - as he was making his way to his office Tommy was undergoing a psychological evaluation. He was worried about his son, especially after everything that had gone at UCLA the beginning of the week. Hopefully this would all be over in a few weeks; he could get his kids and his family back.

He rushed into his office, his assistant trying to pull him back to say something but as soon as he walked in he could tell what was wrong. There was a man sitting at one of the chairs, tapping his fingers insistently against the hand rest. Will watched him - stocky, brown hair, eyes that missed nothing. Especially not the new Chief of Police resting at the door.

"Hello."

"Hello yourself," the man pushed himself out of his chair and offered his hand. "Wes Carpenter."

Will smiled and moved over to his desk. His assistant just shrugged her shoulders and shut the door behind him. There was a file on the corner of the desk, likely belonging to Mr Carpenter.

"So how can I help you today Mr Carpenter?"

The man continued to gaze around the office. Will noticed that his family photos were a little off; no doubt Carpenter had had a look. He smiled sadly at the picture of him and Sharon, taken recently. He had wanted something on his desk of them both, and Will hoped that soon a wedding picture would join the frames. He hoped pictures would not be all he was left with.

"Well I hear you are in the market for a new Assistant Chief, and I want to put my name forward."

Will shook his head. He still hadn't given up on Stephen. "I'm afraid, Mr Carpenter, that I'm not advertising outside yet, I'm still looking to promote internally."

Wes Carpenter nodded and pushed up to look at the view. Unlike Stephen the week before who looked downwards with a sad, angry expression, Carpenter looked determined. "From what I hear it won't be long. Mitchell turned you down, Brody is being investigated by Internal Affairs, Delk's a bastard and the others are non starters. I can guarantee that I can do better than any of the others on that Chief list who tried to get your job."

Will was intrigued. He found the man interesting, and there was something that reminded him of Brenda. The confidence, the glint in his eye that told him he wasn't getting the full story. "Have you got a resume? What experience do you have?"

Wes walked over and pushed the file across the table. Will opened the file, curious, but found it to be just an empty manila file. He coughed and turned to the man. "Do you have any references?"

"Andrew. He said you were a good man, despite leading our Brenda down the garden path. I suppose she could give you a reference too, but we didn't end exactly amicably. Cold War and all that." Will coughed once again and began to move out of his chair to open the door to Carpenter. The man tried to stop him.

"Listen, I've left the Agency, for good. I…over the last couple of year's things have been bad for me, personally. But I want to get my life back together. I'm looking for a change of position, and I can pretty much forge any paperwork and history so it looks like I've been working as a cop for years."

Will chuckled despite himself. "Mr Carpenter, you seem enthusiastic, and I appreciate you coming by. But I'm still trying to hire from within, trying to keep the changes as minimal as possible. Good luck in your job search though, I mean it."

Wes and Will shook hands, the disappointment evident on the man's face. But he was accepting the rejection. "Thank you for seeing me, and good luck with your search. Just a word of warning, to a friend of a friend. Brody still has it out for your wife to be, so I'd be very careful. Have a good afternoon, Chief."

Wes walked out of view, and Will smiled although it didn't reach his eyes. He couldn't deal with Brody as well as Estelle. He wrote his name down on a piece of paper - he had Andrew's number somewhere. Wouldn't hurt to have some new blood in. He'd have to check with Brenda, see what their falling out was about. He didn't need a repeat of Johnson versus Raydor.

Will went back to searching through his files when his telephone rang. He picked it up and cradled it in his neck, still searching. "Chief Pope."

_"Chief Pope? This is Doctor Leonard. I wanted to have a word with you concerning Commander Raydor."_

All his attention went to the phone call. Was there something wrong with Sharon? Had her therapy sessions uncovered something? "What is it Doctor?"

_"Well I have been meeting with Captain Flynn on a regular basis to see how he is doing, to deal with the stress and turmoil that he has been under. I wanted to do the same with Commander Raydor; I can imagine she has an awful lot of issues."_

"Is she okay?"

_"I wouldn't know, sir. She hasn't been turning up to any of our sessions. These aren't mandatory, but they could be very helpful. And I, personally, would like to evaluate her before she continues any active cases. Do you think you could talk to her on my behalf?"_

Will sighed, wondering if the day was going to throw anymore curve balls at him. "I will, Doctor. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." He rang off, sitting back in his chair. Sharon would have her reasons for not wanting to go, but he did think it would help her deal with the weight she had been carrying since Hanson's death. He became lost in thought, and it was only when his assistant threw something at his door that he realised he needed to be in Court.

X

Tommy was in front of a psychologist for the Court. He had been in front of many child psychologists over the years, he had had to after his parents' divorce. He had been sent to the guidance counsellor a few times, but this was different. He had to appear normal and grounded so his Dad could keep Caitlin and Brendan.

The Doctor, a woman by the name of Beverly, came and sat down in front of Tommy. "So, Tommy. You've got quite a list of notes here from previous visits. You set fire to a bird house when you were nine; you got arrested several times for trespassing and other…offences. You tried to commit suicide last February until you were stopped by your father. You dropped out of Harvard; you've been accepted into UCLA. Then there is the trauma of this summer, and what Eddie Hanson made you do. What did he make you do, Tommy?"

"Training exercises."

Beverly shook her head and wrote something down on her pad. "'Training Exercises'. Did you ever, Tommy, assist in the murder of any of those poor girls?"

"What, no!" Tommy cried. This was not what he expected when going to see the psychologist, and he wasn't happy about the direction she was taking. "All he did was make me do things for class, to prepare me for my freshman year. Up until he drugged me and locked me in his house I had no idea he was Eddie Hanson!"

Beverly wrote another note. "Now, Tommy. Eddie Hanson is a psychopath. Is it likely the reason why you didn't notice such a man was because you saw him as a father figure as your own is unreliable? I mean, your father abandoned you when you were a child, having rare contact through the year with you."

"You mean exactly the same thing Estelle's done to Caitlin and Brendan?" Tommy shot back. "I have a good relationship with my father, now that I understand him. It's all about communication, and I'm finally talking to him."

She smiled, looking over her notes. "In your medical notes you were treated for a concussion on Monday. Are the kids at school giving you trouble?" He nodded. "With the trauma you went through, it can change a lot of things, affect you deeper than you realise. Tommy, are you having similar thoughts to what you felt in February when you pulled the car onto the tracks?"

He looked at her honestly, realising the truth. He had been thinking about it, wondering whether things would have been a lot easier on everyone if his Dad had gone after Sharon. She wouldn't have been raped; she would have been with his father for longer. They would still have Andie, and maybe Flynn wouldn't be in the state he was in now.

"Sometimes I wonder if I was worth my Dad saving."

X

The Court session was very tame, except for the judge presiding over them. Estelle had officially opened the custody battle, and was now giving her side of why she should get her children - Will would get his chance to explain on Friday. Sharon was sitting by Will, looking into space. Tommy was fiddling with his hands, not sure what to do.

"We'd like to bring Doctor Beverly Walsh to the stand, your honour."

There were a few press outside, all eager to get a quote from the new Chief of Police who was involved in a custody battle. Will's hands were shaking, and Sharon put a comforting hand over them. He needed to keep calm, for Caitlin and Brendan's sake. Unfortunately their lawyer was not up to scratch and he had bumbled his way through the first witness.

"Doctor Walsh, you evaluated Tommy Pope's mental state today. How would you consider him," Estelle's lawyer asked.

Tommy sat next to Sharon, looking elsewhere but up at Walsh. She smiled at the assembled Court before presenting her findings. "I found Tommy Pope to be a polite young man who understood the difference between right and wrong. He cares deeply for his family, even though he's had problems with them in the past. However, despite this, Tommy still carries the suicidal feelings he felt back in February when he first tried to take his own life."

Will looked over to his son with a gaze of regret and sadness. He reached over for his hand, squeezing it tightly. He wished he had come to him sooner, but he understood why he hadn't. Sharon held both her boy's hands and looked over the court proceedings. They were going to lose. She could feel it in her gut.

"In your opinion, do you think that Tommy should be around his eleven year old brother and sister?"

The Doctor shook her head. "I think it would be irresponsible to allow Tommy anywhere near his younger brother and sister. He is obviously a very unstable young man who needs medical help to treat his anxiety and stress."

Estelle's lawyer sat down, her work done. The Pope lawyer stood up to cross examine the witness, and Sharon crossed her fingers. "Doctor, have you ever trusted someone and they've betrayed you?"

The Doctor fumbled with her answer for a moment. "Yes, of course."

He smiled. "Well Tommy Pope put his trust in Eddie Hanson, and he broke that trust. He put his trust in his father and he did come through for his son. When we lose trust, when we've gone through what Tommy has gone though - taking him away from the people he loves and trusts doesn't help the situation, it hinders it, right?"

"Yes, Tommy is of the type to rely on family, and it would be best for his own state if he stayed with his family."

The lawyer nodded. "That way they could help him work through it as a unit, that's what families do. So if suddenly the family split into two, all you are doing is making Tommy worse, right?"

"Most…likely."

"No more questions, your honour."

Sharon was shocked that they had scored some points, but she didn't know whether it was going to be enough. After the Court session ended, Will was called back to the office. Sharon decided to go home and Tommy went for a walk. Both adults looked on Tommy worryingly, they didn't know what to do for him. It seemed it didn't matter what the outcome of the hearing was - their family was already breaking apart.

X

He looked like he was in pain. His arm was in a sling and plaster, his face was stitched up. But he still looked handsome; his smile brought a lift to her heart. She had come all the way across the country to see the man in front of her, and when she saw him she realised why she would do even more for him.

"Andy, you got many more boxes?"

She turned to see who the other voice was. There, the blonde Deputy Chief that he worked for was carrying boxes down from his place that he shared with the pregnant cop. She had heard on the news that she had been raped - she hoped she hadn't lost the baby. The blonde was carrying down boxes from Andy's place, the few boxes of his belongings that he had.

"Just two more, I think. You know we can collect the rest later, I think it's time that you earned your reward."

_Chocolate_. She remembered that the blonde liked chocolate, from something Andy had mentioned. What she hadn't expected was her boyfriend, her soul mate, to lean in and kiss his boss. She broke the kiss and put the boxes down before flinging her arms around his neck, pushing on to Andy's lips. He smiled as she released him, and he wrapped an arm around her.

"You sure it's okay to move my stuff in? You don't think we're moving too fast? I don't want to pressure you, living together." Any took a breath. "Plus I think it's a good idea that we get a new bed."

_Brenda_. That was her name. Brenda kissed her boyfriend lightly on the mouth before running her fingers through his hair. "It's okay! Fritz left for DC this morning and if we move all the stuff in tonight then we can come home tomorrow and it'll all be there, ready to unpack. Anyway, He's got a new job, moved out. I've got a new boyfriend, and a new bed is coming for tomorrow, something big enough for both of us. _Our _bed."

"You are one saucy woman, Brenda Leigh Johnson."

She watched as Brenda kissed Andy again and moved the boxes into her car. She then blew him a kiss and went back up to get the rest of his things. She almost broke from her spot behind the next complex - but she wanted to observe the two of them. Brenda was wearing his AA ring around her neck like some sort of engagement ring, and the way he lusted after her when she moved down the stairs with the rest of his boxes made it clear to her that they had fucked.

Lana stumbled and sat on the edge of the pavement. She reached into her purse and dug out her mirror - her new hairstyle and make up and the sexy underwear in her luggage were all part of her plan to reunite with her boyfriend, to cheer him up from his trauma. But it seemed he had already moved on, or had been cheating on her from the get go with the blonde southern slut. She didn't like to be made a fool of.

Taking a cab, she followed Andy and the blonde as they reached her house. Brenda moved all the boxes inside, while Andy stared at her lovingly. He had _never _looked at her that way. Lana looked at herself for the first time, the slight Texan accent, the blonde hair. She was just a replacement, what did she matter now he had the real thing. She watched them through the window, as they moved the boxes in and made plans for their last night at his place.

No one replaced her. _No one_.

X

Will came home from one of the hardest days of his life. It had been a train wreck from start to finish, and all he wanted to do was curl up with his fiancée and the kids - if they were still talking to him, that was. Above all he needed to talk to Tommy, maybe call his mother and see what she could do. He didn't know what to do anymore, how to make everything better. He came through the back door, rubbing the back of his neck. He brought orange juice and some pastries home from the bakery down the road, hoping to cheer up Sharon. She had left court distracted.

As he walked from the kitchen into the living room, he saw Sharon sitting against the wall of the dining room. He got closer and saw that there was a duffel bag waiting by her feet.

"Planning a trip?"

She had been crying. "I thought we could elope to Vegas, that way they can't keep calling me your fiancée with such a snide tone."

Will put the food and beverages down beside him and sat in front of her, back against the sitting room wall. They both turned towards the door by them, the door that a mere six months ago she had said goodbye against.

"I got a call from Doctor Leonard today. She says you're not turning up to your therapy sessions."

Sharon shrugged. "Didn't see the need to go. Been going to therapy my entire life, I know what she's going to say. That I'm suffering from post traumatic stress, that I feel guilty for killing Hanson. That I feel weak because I've been raped by someone I considered a friend, nearly raped by a psychopathic monster and then hurt by my ex husband all in the period of six months."

She watched Will's reaction. He looked at her so sad, she couldn't bear it. "How do you feel, Sharon? Honest to God, how do you feel?"

She met his eyes and smiled through a haze of tears. "I feel okay. I feel okay and I hate myself because that's not how I should be feeling. I shouldn't be happy that Hanson is dead, and that Jimmy is rotting in hell and Sam is fucked in the head because he killed his unborn child. I shouldn't be happy that we're having a baby and you proposed. I should be miserable, wanting to kill myself because of the pain I should be feeling."

Will picked himself up off of the floor and walked over to where Sharon was sitting. He cupped her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. Her hand gripped his. "You know, it's okay to be happy."

"It shouldn't be. How can I go into the shrink's office and say that I'm happy and I'm fine. Because I am. I'm not great; I'm not bouncing off the walls. I still have flashbacks and nightmares. But for the first time I see the end of the tunnel, and I'm happy about that."

Will stood up and reached for her hand. She took it gratefully and immediately launched herself into his arms. He smiled as he held her, for the first time that day feeling at peace. "I'm happy. I have you, and I have our kids. But above everything else, I have you. I've waited my entire life for you; I'm not letting you go now."

She smiled at his words, falling more in love with that man every minute. He picked up the duffel bag by their feet and frowned. "It's empty."

Sharon smiled, stroking his cheek, a smile breaking out on her face. "I thought about it, but then I decided. I'm not going anywhere."

"Why would you? When all you could want is here?" Will teased before kissing Sharon. She threw her arms around his neck, and he clung onto her as close as he could. He never wanted to let her go, just hold on. She felt the same, looking into his eyes. There would be no more goodbyes, no more broken hearts. Just each other.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Article from "Enterprises" Magazine, Issue 104, dated May 2010_

_"At home with Sam Broker" by Jason Bauer _

_Sam Broker is a man for our times. Despite the rumours of gang related murder and money laundering charges created by the FBI, the only thing this reporter can uncover is that the man can make a mean omelette and run a highly successful property business. Sam owns a huge amount of property over Los Angeles County, from high price hotels to smaller suburb areas, making some places safer to live in for the residents. _

_"I just try and think what the area was like where I grew up, and I try to make it a better place to live for everyone involved. The street that I lived on was nice, but there was crime and murder all the time. Suicide rates were sky high." Not much is known about the businessman, one of LA's self made elite. He has friends in Congress, knows some members of the LAPD. Born and raised in New York, he road tripped across the country when he was a teenager and ended up working odd jobs for a small business owner before eventually taking over the business himself. _

_While Sam has been successful in business, with a net worth of twenty million, he has so far been unlucky in love. He's been married four times, although Sam will only talk about the last three. "My first wife and I…we were young, we were in love. Things happen when you're young and you try and forgive yourself the best you can. It was a long time before I could ever be love again." _

_The two million dollar mansion he lives in is shared by him and his fourth wife Denise. He divorced his second wife in 1991 and she moved out of LA County, and his third wife disappeared in 1998. Police believe she ran away with a lover, and the loss still hits Sam hard. "I always think about her, think about our divorce and about how as soon as we signed the papers she was gone. It hurts." _

_What is coming next for the millionaire? "I've always thought about having children, a legacy to take into the world. Sadly Denise and I haven't been able to conceive, but hopefully one day I'll have a child to take over the reigns."_

**Thursday 16****th**** September 2010**

**7:32 am**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Will looked in the mirror, unsure how he was feeling. Back again in Court; back again facing his ex-wife to get custody over his kids. He straightened his tie, his uniform hanging in the wardrobe. He was so tempted to wear it, the silver stars shining in front of the judge. But forcing his rank on others wouldn't help anything; it might make everything a heck of a lot worse.

He looked behind himself and stared at the beautiful brunette entwined in their bed sheets. After yesterday's court session and their talk, they had not been far from each other. They had spent the entire night touching, being as close to each other as they could. Will finished adjusting his collar and moved to slide into bed behind his fiancée, reaching over for her hand. He kissed her neck and whispered how much he loved her.

"You keep saying that and it's not going to mean anything anymore."

"I can live with that."

Sharon moved out of bed, kissing him on the cheek, and went into to the bathroom to get changed. Will laid back on their bed, thinking how lucky he was. It had taken them over a year to get to the point where things were just right, but they were finally getting there. "After this whole custody debate is over, I think we should move."

"So Estelle won't find us?" Sharon came in, pulling on her jacket. No skin was on show except the hollow of her neck. Nothing to reveal the bruises on her arms by Sam, the scars from Hanson.

"No, just our own place. I've got a bigger pay check coming; we've got half the money from this house and the money from yours. We could get a nice place in a secure neighbourhood. With a pool."

Sharon smiled and turned around to face him. "Pool?"

Will grinned as he looked over her, his eyes finding hers and found the love and sadness in her green orbs. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else - he just hoped that was a choice that fate decided to give him.

"I want a pool. And a really big barbecue. I mean we don't have to save much for the wedding, we can just head to a courthouse and, hell, we could get married while we're at court today!"

Sharon laughed softly as she crawled next to Will in bed and kissed him. He pulled the covers on top of them, holding onto her as tight as he dared. "I don't want to rush it, okay?" She looked at him, he eyes empty. But suddenly a smile seemed to grow over her face and she turned around to kiss his lips. There was a sparkle there that he missed. "I want a proper wedding. White dress, tuxedos, little bridesmaid dresses. And an ice cream cake."

Will grinned and she threw her arms tight around his neck. "You can have the world, you only have to ask," he whispered against her hair. Their embrace was broken by the sound of the doorbell. Tommy came rushing into their room, grinning like a maniac.

"Come on you two love birds! I've sorted out our lawyer issue."

"We have a lawyer issue?"

Their current lawyer, while having scored some points yesterday in Court, was pretty aimless. Will had not been looking forward to today's session in Court with him again. They trailed down the steps after Tommy and waited, concerned, as he opened the door. They hadn't seen Tommy this animated for days, especially after yesterday's revelation that he still toyed with the idea of killing himself.

"MOM!"

Will's head lifted up and watched as his first ex wife came over the threshold into his house. It was the first time Sharon had ever met Jean - the last time Tommy's mother had come to LA she had been in a coma. She was blonde, tall and devastatingly pretty. His redheaded ex wife was pretty too, but her features were marred by unhappiness. Sharon felt a twinge of jealousy at the way Tommy gripped onto his mother, and Will saw her look of regret. His arm reached around her waist, stroking the skin of her hip. He knew exactly what she needed.

"Hello Jean."

"Hello Will," she beamed. "Chief Will - your mother called me the other day, she's very proud of you."

Will coughed and reached to hug Jean briefly, making no more mention of his family. He immediately went back to Sharon's side. Jean smiled as she looked up and down the thin, pregnant brunette. She was gorgeous, if a little damaged. Jean didn't miss the smiles that Tommy nor Will's other two young children hiding in the background gave her. The look he gave Sharon was so unlike anything he had ever shown her, but she felt happy for Will.

"You must be Sharon! I'm Jean, Tommy's mother. I've wanted to meet you for the longest time, Tommy's always spoken so highly of you."

Sharon shook her hand, but immediately moved back to Will's side. Will looked at Jean oddly. "Jean, why are you here? Apart from to see Tommy of course."

Jean grinned and put an arm around her son. "Well Tommy called me yesterday, wanting to catch up and it all came out. I wasn't going to let some two bit lawyer demonise my son and yours seems mostly useless, so here I am."

Will sat down on the steps, sighing. His first ex wife was defending him in a child custody suit against his second ex wife who he had left the first ex for over a decade ago. "Okay then. This year certainly can't get anymore strange."

Sharon hoped he was right.

**9:22 am**

**Courthouse **

Going into Court was bizarre. They had dropped Caitlin and Brendan off at school, although his daughter seemed reluctant to leave them. Tommy had gone with his mother, and Sharon had spent the entire car ride laughing at Will, who was worrying what would happen.

When he got inside the court room and Will sat behind the table, he realised that four of the five women in the room he had slept with. Estelle and his lawyer were sitting on the opposite table, Jean was joining him and out in the wings of the Court there was Andy, Brenda and Stephen who had come in to check up on them. Sharon and Tommy sat behind them, trying to give him support. Things were quiet at the LAPD for the time being, and he appreciated them all for coming.

Jean came into the room next, and Brenda immediately ducked down out of the way of her gaze. Even Estelle looked backwards to see the southern blonde, and Brenda realised it might not have been her best idea to come and support Will in Court. But he was her friend, and she wasn't going to let Estelle beat him down. At least Sharon was smiling at the scenario.

"Mr Pope, are you having new council?" the Judge asked from his podium.

Will stood up. "Yes sir, Councillor Jean Denny, a friend of mine from DC."

Estelle's lawyer stood up, not impressed with what was happening. "Your Honour, Mrs Denny is Mr Pope's first wife, and Tommy Pope's mother. No doubt this is a strategy to anger my client."

Jean scoffed. "With all due respect, your Honour, I am here to support my son and his family. The very basis of what we're here to discuss is parents and their children - and as my son is involved in this, I should very well be here."

The Judge nearly banged his head against his desk; this looked like it was going to be a particular vicious confrontation. "Fine, fine, Ms Denny is accepted as new council. Does Ms Lloyd have any issue proceeding with her witnesses?"

Lloyd stood up, trying a new tactic. "We rest, your Honour."

The Judge once again looked like he was going to smack his head against his table. "Ms Denny, are you ready to start your case?"

Everyone waited while Jean stood up, smiling. Estelle's lawyer's plot to throw her off game wasn't working. "Yes your honour, I'd like to call Will Pope to the stand."

Everyone shifted in their seats as Will stood up and made his way to the witness box. He kept fiddling with his collar, trying to get some air to his lungs. As he sat, his gaze found Sharon. She gave him the strength to sit up straight and look at his two ex wives. Maybe moving to somewhere like the Arctic was a good idea after all. He was sworn in, and Jean turned to him.

"Now, Mr Pope, you have four children with three women of this Court." There was laughing from the gallery, and Will groaned as he saw Provenza had joined Flynn in watching the proceedings. All, no doubt, in the name of support. Jean was smiling at him, and Will wondered if this was somehow revenge. "Could you tell me in a nutshell the custody arrangements for them?"

Will coughed. "Well my current fiancée is pregnant with my daughter, she's seven months along. Tommy, my eldest son with my first wife, lived in DC with, well, you. After I divorced my first wife to marry Estelle, I relinquished all custody to, well, you. Because Tommy would be best with his mother."

Jean grinned, and Tommy outstretched his hand for a high five under the table with Sharon. "Did you see Tommy while you were married to Estelle?"

"No ma'am. Estelle wasn't enamoured with Tommy, she didn't like having him around. It was only when I divorced Estelle that I regularly had my son during the summer. They were tense, no doubt because of the lack of contact. It's something I've always regretted. I'm happy that I'm getting the chance now."

Estelle didn't look happy, but it was the truth. Jean now went in for the kill. "When divorcing your second wife, what were the custody arrangements concerning your children Caitlin and Brendan? And before little miss LA jumps up with an objection…" she had seen Lloyd getting ready to stand up. "This is a custody hearing about the two younger Pope children, and the custody arrangement from previous hearings is relevant."

The Judge agreed. "You can answer, Mr Pope."

Will smiled sadly. "Well Estelle's second husband wasn't enamoured with our kids either, and she didn't want custody. The only reason she fought for custody, in my opinion, was to get more money in the settlement. We had a very varied custody agreement as she lived in San Francisco - she'd get them for a couple of weeks during the summer, the odd holiday depending on her plans. I would take care of Caitlin and Brendan for the most part."

Jean smiled. "Have the kids been injured during the time that you've been a single parent, taking care of your children?"

"No, not at all. Couple of grazed knees, but considering I got shot in February of this year I think that's not too serious."

"That's all, your Honour."

Lloyd stood up to provide her cross examination. "You got shot in February of this year - and you still think it's safe to have two young children in that environment?"

Will smiled. "I was on a ride along with two lieutenants, not part of my regular duties. I'm being issued with bodyguards as part of my role as Chief of Police. Believe me; I would never put my children in harm's way. They mean everything."

Lloyd smiled, resting her arm on the witness box. "How many women have you slept with since your divorce?"

"Objection!" Jean shouted from her position.

Lloyd turned to the Judge. "I'm trying to see what home life is like for Mr Pope, and whether he regularly brings women home."

The Judge was getting annoyed by the proceedings, but nodded. "You may proceed, but be delicate; Ms Lloyd or I'll stop this whole line of questioning dead."

"Please answer the question, and remember you are under oath. How many women have you slept with since Mrs St James filed for divorce?"

Will groaned, and rested his hand on the witness box. "Two."

"Really? Could you elaborate the time period for this?"

His jaw locked, and Estelle watched him with a smile. "A few months after Estelle filed for divorce I started an affair with an agent from Homeland Security, who has since passed away. It ended not even a year after my divorce was made final. The other woman would be Sharon Raydor, my fiancée; we started dating in August of last year. "

"You mentioned having an affair with the woman from Homeland Security. Was she married?"

"Yes."

It was Lloyd's turn to go in for the kill. "So you were having an affair with a married woman while going through divorce proceedings and custody disputes with your wife. Did these 'meetings' occur in a hotel?"

"Yes."

"Where did you leave the children?"

Will's breath caught. "With a sitter."

Lloyd smiled to the court room. "We've finished with this witness, your Honour."

Pope descended the witness box, and couldn't even look at Sharon as he sat down next to her. The Judge looked over the assembled court room, the sad faces and hollowed out shells of the people deciding to look after two children.

"Let's take a five minute recess, and you can call your next witness councillor."

**10:04 am**

"My next witness is Sharon Raydor, your Honour."

Sharon gripped Will's hand tight as she made her way to the witness box. There was some cheering from the gallery, and the Judge banged his gavel to gain order and quiet in the court room. She looked over from her position and saw Simon, Claudia and Tony smiling at her, giving her all the support she could ever want.

Jean looked at her and smiled. "Ms Raydor, could you tell me how you first met Mr Pope."

Sharon smiled. "I was throwing up at a crime scene, and my superior officer asked him to come in and make sure I was okay."

Will looked at her and smiled, remembering that day. Jean caught her breath and decided to go for a different tactic. "Okay, how did you and Mr Pope start dating?"

Sharon shifted in her seat. "We were at a party that the Chief of the LAPD was throwing to break down divisional barriers. He saved me from a guy who was making fun of me, and we ended up dancing and drinking. We spent the night together, and although we tried to keep it just a friendship, we couldn't keep away from each other."

Jean looked over at Will and shook her head at him. How he had held onto her, she did not know. "How did you first meet Caitlin and Brendan, and Mr Pope's eldest son Tommy?"

"Tommy came into work with Will one day, and he yelled at Brenda Leigh Johnson, one of Will's friends from DC." She didn't miss the smile that crept over Jean and Estelle's face. Brenda scowled. "I took him into my office, tried to see why he was so angry. I told him he needed to grow up, stop blaming people for his problems. We got talking, discovered a mutual love of cars and from then on we were close."

"And Caitlin and Brendan?"

"Will invited me and my family over for Thanksgiving last year, and I met Caitlin and Brendan for the first time then. Brendan was getting picked on at school for standing up for his classmates, so I told him some old FID stories. Caitlin and I talked about Hannah Montana."

Jean smiled and gestured towards Sharon's stomach. "This child is your first, correct?"

"Yes, yes she is."

"Estelle St James and her lawyers are trying to prove that you are a dangerous influence on the children. Could you describe any injuries the children have sustained in your care, and any injuries you have sustained yourself over this year?" Jean asked, not realising how loaded a question that was. Will grimaced, wanting anything to stop her from having to answer that question.

Sharon winced and turned to the Judge. "Do I have to answer that?"

"I'm afraid you do, I'm sorry."

Will looked over at Sharon, and saw the trouble in her face. Everyone in the court room who knew the extent of what she had gone through this year knew this was going to be hard for her. "I…Caitlin and Brendan have never been injured while I've taken care of them."

There was silence, and the Judge turned to her. "Answer the other half of the question, please, Ms Raydor," he warned.

Sharon's eyes closed shut, and opened them again. "I grazed my shoulder badly when I was in a motorcycle accident in January. In February I…February…I was raped and stabbed in the stomach. I was in a brief coma. In July I was hospitalised after I was pushed into a fire extinguisher. In September I sustained bruises to my face, my hips and cuts to my hands after trying to deal with a suspect." She closed her eyes again. "I received bruises to my arms earlier this week after a clash with my ex husband."

There was only one noise in the courtroom after she had finished. Will turned to see Caitlin reaching down to pick up her school bag. She must have skipped school and came to Court to see who would get them. He stood up from the table and went to go see his daughter, who looked very upset. Lloyd was ready to start a cross examination when the Judge shook his head.

"No, no more. I'm tired of this, I've had to endure a week of it and I won't have any more. It seems to me that a pissing contest over two marriages is happening in this court room at the expense of two children. I'll decide tomorrow who keeps the children, but if I didn't think foster care would be a worse environment for them, I wouldn't let either parent take them. Court dismissed."

The Judge moved away from his stand and Caitlin immediately rushed to hug Sharon. She held onto the girl tight. "You should be at school young lady."

"Wanted to see you."

Estelle looked over the table towards her daughter, but she moved around to the other side of Sharon. She kissed her head, wanting to make the girl smile. "Come on; let's get you to school via an ice cream parlour. You guys coming?"

The LAPD officers that had come for a visit joined them in leaving, Caitlin gripping on to Sharon's hand. Will looked at his two ex wives, until Jean offered to take Tommy to college. Will nodded to Estelle as he left to go back to work. One more day, and then it would all be over.

**15:22 am**

**UCLA Campus**

Their morning in Court had gone well; his mother had done them proud and Tommy hoped it would be enough. It felt weird having his mother in town, like the two sides of his life had converged. It was nice to look into the familiar features, hear stories about his siblings from DC. He felt bad to have just abandoned his life in Washington, abandon his family there but he wanted to be around Brendan and Caitlin, watch as they grew up. He also wanted to be there for Andie - he wanted to watch her grow up too.

"Hey kid!"

He had noticed the look on Sharon's face that morning when she had met his mother. He had felt guilty about calling her in to sort out their mess, especially after what Sharon had said about considering him her son. He supposed that was what was bothering him so much - he didn't really know how to define his life or his family anymore. His mother had gone back to rest up, call the kids - they were going to spend the weekend together, which was something he was looking forward to. He missed her.

Something was thrown at his head, and Tommy looked around to see a couple of guys coming across to him. Three girls were with them, the girls were wearing swimsuits. He had gone for a walk through the Frat and Sorority houses, and was in front of a Greek letter house he couldn't identify. Everyone looked really happy, throwing water over each other, ripping shirts off. Had Hanson ever come down here, strolling for victims? Tommy shook the thought, trying not to concentrate on the image.

"It's Pope, right?" one of the guys asked him.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, Tommy Pope."

The guys grinned and the girls moved over, resting their arms over him. Tommy had snuck into the UCLA campus a couple of times to go to frat parties when he was a teenager, spurred on by the local friends he had made. He'd always ended up drunk, sitting in a hot tub with a new friend or three and most likely a joint or two floating around. He let the girls drape themselves over him, but he focussed on the boys. He wouldn't get sucked in, not again.

"Well your holiness, we're having a little shindig on Friday night and we want you to be there. Our own little celebrity, what do you say?" asked the taller one. He was taller than Tommy by a couple of inches but outweighed him in muscle mass. The other, younger guy, smiled at him.

Tommy thought it over. His mother would still be in town, and he didn't feel like going out to a party. He didn't drink anymore, didn't do drugs or have sex. He was trying to live life without abusing it, and his conscience wasn't sure whether a frat party was a good idea. But when he looked into their faces, he saw no malice, saw no ill intent. For the first time since he had started at UCLA, he wasn't hated.

"Yeah, sure, no problem!" Tommy grinned, and the frat boys banged their hands down on his shoulder, making him grimace. "I'll be there, you better believe it."

The boys hollered and started to walk off in the opposite direction, happy with their new guest for the party. Tommy endured a kiss from all the girls before they went off with the boys, no doubt to round up more pledges for their fraternity.

Danny had been right; one of the frat houses was trying to recruit him. He was quite happy where he was, but he was willing to try and fit in if it made life easier. He'd double check with his father before going, and make sure Sharon knew where he was. Probably not a good idea to tell his mother, she would no doubt worry. He wondered if he could call up Alex and Mina, see if they wanted to come and keep him company, keep any unsavoury characters away.

As he looked up into the bowls of the frat house, covered with beer cans and banners, he thought he might need the back up.

**15:34 pm**

**Pacific Alliance Medical Centre**

They were waiting nervously in the hospital room. Will was tapping out a rhythm on the chair rest, and Sharon was stroking her stomach. Will wanted something to bring up their mood, and so they had scheduled a check up to make sure both mother and daughter were doing well. As he looked around the room he could see more happy couples with huge stomachs and bright faces. Sharon was looking puzzled at a pregnancy magazine. Her stomach had rounded quite a bit since she had come back from London, but she was nowhere near as big as some of the other mothers.

"You know she has eyelashes."

"Who? I think most people do."

Sharon rolled her eyes and hit him with the magazine. "Your daughter, silly. This magazine says at seven months she has eyelashes."

Will looked over the magazine Sharon was gripping onto. He hadn't been there for Jean or Estelle when they had been pregnant with Tommy and Brendan; they had to go through their first pregnancy alone. He wasn't going to do the same with Sharon; he was going to be there every step of the way. He looked at where Sharon was pointing.

"She should be about three pounds by now. _Three_, that's tiny. She also has eyebrows," Sharon seemed excited about the prospect that their daughter would have eyebrows. "She feels small."

Will kissed her hair. "She's kicking though, right?"

"Always."

The nurse beckoned them inside and Will rested his hand on the small of Sharon's back. She liked his protective gestures - they were nice without being overbearing. Every time she looked at him she could see the love in his face, the way his smile lit up at the sight of her. She wondered, not for the first time this week, what she would have seen on Sam's face had she told him about their son.

Sharon removed her jacket tenderly as the nurse carried out the ultrasound. She noted the remaining bruises fading on her face, the fresh finger marks on her arms. The ultrasound technician looked at Will and coughed.

"Your fiancée doesn't need to be here, he can wait outside. I think it would be best."

Sharon was about to say something, she knew what the technician was thinking but Will just rested a hand on Sharon's own and left the room without any argument. He went out of the corridor and into the men's bathroom. He rested his head against the wall, banging his fists against the cold tile. He was losing control of everything, couldn't stop Estelle from taking his kids, couldn't stop Sam from going after Sharon. He was helpless, and he hated it.

He eventually removed himself from the bathroom and waited outside for Sharon. She came out eventually, and Will joined her pace. The ultrasound technician followed them with her eyes, but soon they were out into the car park.

"Everything okay?" Will asked as he put the keys in the ignition.

"I'm a little underweight, but nothing a good couple of dinners won't fix. She's kicking; she seems to be developing well." Sharon reached over and hugged Will's arm. "It's okay, Will."

They drove the car in silence for a while as they made their way from the hospital to their house. Tommy was out at college for the afternoon, Jean at the hotel, Caitlin and Brendan at school: they had the place to themselves for a while. They sat in the car, still, for minutes of long silence, until Will covered Sharon's hand with his.

"It's not okay, Sharon. I couldn't protect you from Hanson; I couldn't even protect you from Jimmy. I can't protect you from Sam."

"I don't need protecting, Will, I can take care of myself."

Will glanced over to her, and rested a hand lightly on her stomach. "I want to protect her, I want to protect you. I know you can take care of yourself, and I've always admired your strength, your fire. I love that about you. But I can't lose you, not again. When you told me what Sam did and you said not to do anything, I let that go. But if he hurts you…if he…I spent five months of this year wanting you and grieving for us. If…I couldn't bear losing you."

Will opened his car door and moved around to open Sharon's. They didn't say anything while they moved inside the house. Once the door was shut, Will ran a hand over his head, not sure what to do. Sharon pushed him up against the nearest wall and kissed him as hard as she could. Will lost himself in her.

**19:56 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

Andy was looking at the phone like it was a snake, coiled ready to strike. His day at work had been fairly boring - Brenda was currently working a murder and was coming home late. He had spent his day stamping paperwork, and apart from making sure Sharon was okay in Court, he hadn't done an awful lot.

The house was shaping up to be okay. They'd moved all of his belongings in, and tonight was going to be their first night actually staying in the house. They had a new mattress and a new bed frame put in, and Andy had spent a great deal of time lying on it, looking up at the ceiling and thinking how long he had wanted that. Every time he had been in Brenda's house he had looked at the walls and the furniture and wondered what it would be like to kiss her, to hold her, to live with and love her.

Now he knew, and all he could think about was Fritz's words. That Brenda would never be home, that with his arm and his age he would have what he wanted but hate himself for it. He knew he should be happy that they were together, but there was still a heck of a lot left to do - the divorce, telling Lana. He had tried to call her now they were officially moved in together, but he'd got no response at her home and his sister had said she'd gone on holiday. She'd also chewed him out again, and Flynn didn't need that.

Of course there was one call he wasn't sure whether Brenda or he should make. It was to her parents. While he knew that Willie Rae wouldn't be surprised about his love for their daughter and no doubt would be happy that they were together, Clay was a different matter. He'd always seemed happy with his son in law, and he may not be thrilled that his daughter was dating a man that was only fourteen years younger than her father.

He didn't think he had the right to do it, so he just went and switched on the television. He texted Simon and Claudia for most of the time during the DIY program he was watching, discussing them all planning a baby shower for Sharon. It was when they had got onto the subject of whether to take Sharon to a baseball game to celebrate Andie's impending birth did the door open and Brenda come in.

"I'm home!"

Brenda came through the door carrying a pizza box and immediately kissed Flynn. She seemed so bright, so happy. "Good case?"

"Really good - some Hollywood extra got murdered and we arrested the director who was selling roles for sex," Brenda got two plates from the kitchen and a bottle of ketchup. She also brought out a bottle of Merlot. "Do you mind, Andy?"

"No, its fine," Andy rested his hand on his leg, clutching it tight. He wanted a drink, he wanted to go to a meeting, he wanted to be on a damn murder case. He liked the rush of catching a suspect, the thrill and chase of interviewing, the justice flowing through his veins when there was an arrest. He missed all that; he missed Brenda being his Chief. He was in recovery from a lot of things, and he wanted a quick fix.

"I missed you today, at work." Brenda rested her head on his chest. "I miss you, Andy, by my side. Think you can get a transfer back over? I want you working with me, we make an amazing team."

"I don't think they'll let us work together while we're dating."

Brenda nodded and hugged him. Andy couldn't deny that he was happy that she was as unhappy about the situation as he was. She put the Merlot back in the cupboard and brought out two glasses of cranberry juice. She snuggled closer to him, and Andy realised that her touch was having the same calming effect that a glass of whiskey would do. They clinked glasses with a smile while Brenda changed the channel to some old black and white film.

"I love this - I love these old romances. The woman finding love with a handsome guy who is always older than her, swept off her feet," Brenda whispered, and Andy put his good arm around her shoulders.

"The old ones are always the best. You know I've got some old Marlowe movies somewhere, want to put one on next?"

Brenda chuckled and pushed the hair off of her face. "A handsome detective seduced by a dangerous woman…plus a murder, why wouldn't I want to? Put it on now."

Andy went to go get a film, and Brenda got ready with the pizza. Half the topping was mushrooms for Andy, half of it was pepperoni for her. When he sat down with the DVD he passed her a glass of Merlot and she smiled.

"Oh, before you put the film on, I've got to make a call. I want to do it soon before things just swamp us and they'll be over here at Christmas wondering what's going on."

He watched as she reached over and grabbed the cordless phone that was by the sofa. Andy pressed pause on the DVD and ate a slice while trying not to eavesdrop on her conversation. He moved to the kitchen and started unpacking a few of his things from storage, some Dodgers mugs he had, some cooking utensils he was fond of.

"Daddy? Hi, it's Brenda. How are you?"

Andy stopped unpacking, and looked out of the kitchen to see his girlfriend on the phone to her father. She smiled at him. "Yes, Daddy, I'm fine. I wanted to tell you that me and Fritz are getting a divorce. We just…grew apart. I'm sorry Daddy, I'm really sorry."

He didn't hear the rest of the conversation, just moved into the kitchen and made Brenda a cup of coffee with extra syrup. When he came into the living room she was smiling. She grinned when he passed her the cup. "My father wants to talk to you."

Andy took the phone carefully, not sure whether he was going to be yelled and reamed out by the older man. "Mr Johnson?"

"_That bookcase is good, son. Strong wood, keeps the books on the level and safe from being tripped over. You get what I'm saying, son?" _

"That you want me to build you a bedside table set when my arm is feeling better?" Andy joked, Brenda winced. But even she could hear the laughter on the other end of the phone from her father.

"_That's it exactly, son."_

Once Brenda had recovered from the phone call, they put on the old film and settled down to watch it, finally feeling like they were home.

**20:02 pm**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Tommy was outside in the garden throwing a baseball up in the air. It was from a game that he and his Dad had gone to over the summer; it had been a lot of fun. He tossed it up and down again, looking towards the house behind him. He had heard Sharon and his father talk that morning, and moving did seem like a good idea. A fresh start for all of them.

"Hey you."

Tommy finished catching the ball and turned to see his mother coming in through the doors. "Surprised Dad let you back in the house."

Jean Denny smiled. "It's ex wife number two that your father has a problem with right now, not ex wife number one. Hey, come and sit and talk for a while, kiddo."

He knew his mother and knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. She wanted him to sit, so he did on one of the garden loungers they had. She looked over him with this look of wonder and sadness, and Tommy hated seeing that on her.

His mother reached over and stroked his face. "You know I am so proud of you. For doing all this, for surviving all this. You were always my son and I loved you, but sometimes you worried me. I could see you going down a dark path and I didn't like it."

"Yeah, well, Mom, I'm feeling much better since February." Tommy looked up into her face. "Before February, you mean. You're right, I've changed a lot. And I'm happy about those changes." Tommy laughed, reaching out for his mother's hand. "There's this girl I like. She's not even eighteen yet so it's a bit dubious but I really like her. She's funny and she's smart and she makes me feel good about myself."

Jean smiled at her son, happy for him. He had always taken after his father in regard of his choice of girls, popular blonde ones who had no real substance to them. She knew he had been worse when he had come to LA, and Jean was under no illusions that his son had taken after his father in the years that she had known and been married to him. But, now, while Will had become a brilliant father and a wonderful man, it seemed like Tommy was following suit.

"Who is she? A girl from school?"

Tommy's jaw locked as he thought about Sarah, and about the few girls he had met over the summer. "No. Mom, don't get upset, but…its Chief Johnson's niece, Charlie."

He laughed as he watched his mother's face curl in on itself. "What is it with Pope boys and Johnson girls, hmm?"

They laughed and Tommy smiled at his mother. "Apparently she went through a rebirth like I did. She completely changed while she was here, for the better. I really like her Mom. She's hoping to come down to UCLA for next year, so we'll see what happens."

They moved off the subject of Tommy for a while, discussed how his siblings were getting on, how they were doing at school. He brought up the subject of Steve, and his mother said about them trying to make a go for it, despite her cheating.

"I know he left me for that redheaded hussy, but I wonder sometimes what our life would have been like had he stayed. Still…he never looked at me the way he looks at Sharon," Jean admitted, a little sad. "You promise to visit, won't you? I miss you, Tommy, I really do. It's good that you've got a life out here and a life with your family. Just don't forget the other half of it."

Tommy reached over and hugged his mother, gripping onto her. "Never! Tell you what, next summer I'll come down for the whole three months."

"You going to come to DC for the summer when you can be in LA?" Jean shook her head "Come for Thanksgiving, it'll be nice to see you, honey. But for Christmas I think you should stay here, after all it'll be your baby sister's first Christmas."

The house doors opened and Will came out with two glasses of lemonade. Jean smiled at her ex husband and watched as Tommy deferred to his father. She had been hoping that their relationship would grow, and it had. She laughed softly before turning to Will. He was still handsome, still made her knees like jelly. She only wished she had met him later, when he had become the man he was now, when he was out of his own father's shadow.

"Take care of him."

Will smiled at her, resting a hand atop his son's shoulder. "Always."

**22:15 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

There was a knock on the door, and Andy got up from his position on the sofa to answer it. Brenda had fallen asleep during the second half of the Marlowe film, and he had just sat there, torn between watching the hardboiled detective and the woman he loved looking so beautiful. He opened the door, and was surprised to see Will and Sharon standing on the doorstep.

"Hey kids, little early for trick or treating."

Will grinned and passed over a basket of goodies. Andy could see a bottle of Merlot, plenty of chocolate and a pair of Dodgers tickets for a game next weekend. "What's this for?"

Sharon grinned. "Well it just struck me that you've just moved in together and as pretty much everyone's been here before, you need something to celebrate. So here it is. Plus we wanted to thank you for being there for us today, meant a lot." She smiled, and Will put an arm around her. "I've been feeling a little restless, and Will suggested going for a walk so this is where we've ended up. Will made me get the Dodgers tickets."

Andy laughed and invited them inside. Brenda had woken up by that point and was taking the DVD out of the player when they came in. "Sharon and Will brought us wine, tickets and ding dongs."

Brenda gave both of them a hug, and the four of them ended up at the dining room table. Will and Brenda both had a glass of the Merlot, while Andy and Sharon had water. They were discussing old times, old memories in DC and fresh cases in LA.

"So, have you decided who is going to be the new Assistant Chief, Will?" Brenda asked, pouring herself a little more wine. Andy was rummaging through the basket until he came across a packet of salted nuts. Brenda couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"No, not yet. I asked Stephen and he turned me down flat," he replied, and Sharon sighed. "I had an old friend of yours come in asking about the job though, Wes Carpenter?"

Brenda nearly choked on the gulp of wine she was taking. "Wes Carpenter?" Upon Andy and Sharon's quizzical looks, she decided to explain. "An old friend of mine at Homeland Security. He's a good guy, a little screwed up since his wife and kids were murdered but I think that does that to you."

Will nodded, and the conversation stopped. It was then that Will noticed how late it was getting; they must have been talking for a couple of hours. "Well I have a custody hearing to go to tomorrow morning, so we will see you both at work tomorrow!" Will announced. He had enjoyed spending time with the two of them. There had been no chance of ever hanging out with Brenda and Fritz, and he had missed just socialising with Brenda. Once everything had calmed down they could spend some more time together, after all Sharon and he had decided that the pair of them would be Andie's godparents.

"See you tomorrow you two, sleep well."

Brenda kissed Will on the cheek at the door, and hugged the brunette awkwardly. Andy waved goodbye, holding onto Brenda as the two continued their walk back to their place. They held hands as they strolled down the emptying streets of Los Angeles. As Will's hand trembled within her own, Sharon realised that maybe he needed the walk more than her.

Tomorrow was going to change everything.

**Friday 17****th**** September 2010**

**7:18 am**

**Santa Monica State Beach**

Will had taken a walk along the beach front. He had left Sharon sleeping in their bed, after yesterday he felt she deserved a rest. He wondered if by the time the sun set on today, he would have lost both his children. He sat down on a bench, looking out onto the ocean. He and Estelle had come down there with the kids several times, a happy family unit.

"Looks like you had the same idea I did."

He looked up to see Estelle coming towards him. She sat on the bench with him, staring at half forgotten memories. Caitlin had been taught to swim in the ocean by Will on extremely calm days. Brendan had lost his shoes one day when his father had picked them up early from school. There were so many memories, he didn't want to see them all ruined.

"I miss them, you know. I'm trying to do what's right for us. I'm trying to make amends to them, Will."

He nodded. "You're going the wrong way about it, Estelle. The kids like being with us. I know you hate it, but it's the truth. They like living with me and Sharon and being with their older brother. I've been a cop their entire lives; they've been in and out of Parker Centre. Los Angeles is a dangerous city, life is dangerous. You can't keep them from it all; you just have to protect them as best as you can."

Estelle agreed and turned to Will. She slapped him in the face. "Ow. What the hell was that for?"

"You were seeing someone while we were getting divorced. Were you fucking her while we were married?"

Will snorted and stood up, trying to control his anger. "You cheated on me. You left our home and our kids, and now you're trying to blame this all on me? Yes I worked long hours; yes I may have been tempted by other women. But I swear to you on our children's lives that I never cheated on you. I loved you; I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I started dating Maggie after you left because I felt worthless and alone - you happy now?"

It seemed like Estelle needed to hear that. She stood up and held out her hand for him to shake. "The offer you made when we talked before, I'd like to take that, if that's okay. Every other weekend, and Wednesday nights?"

Will realised what had happened. Estelle had seen Caitlin the day before run into Sharon's arms and realised she had no hope of the same without baby steps. He crossed his arms and snarled. "You put my son through a psychiatric evaluation, ruining what little self esteem he'd been able to get back this summer. Your lawyer tries to make out I'm a bad father, choosing women over my kids when all I've done is take care of them."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I was desperate, Will," Estelle admitted, looking ashamed.

"You can get them the second weekend of every month, and if they want to see you another weekend during the month then that is _their _choice. No days during the week until they are _happy _spending time with you and they come to me wanting to spend more time with you. If it was up to me you'd never see them again, but Jean gave me the chance to be a part of Tommy's life, and I'm giving the same to you. Use it wisely, or I'll take it away."

"Thank you, Will."

They shook hands, Will almost regretting his next words but realising he wanted to heal his family. "Talk to the Judge and sort things out, I'll get a written agreement of custody to you by the end of the day. You can take them out for dinner tonight, if you want, just to talk to them. If you take them, I will track you down and you will never see them again."

"I know. Thank you, Will."

They said their goodbyes, and Will walked back to his car with a spring in his step. He knew he should make Estelle suffer for abandoning their kids, but he needed to give her a chance. It could lead to amazing things. When he got home the first thing he did was pick Sharon up and swing her around before kissing her as hard as he could.

His family were going to be okay.

**10:35 am**

**New LAPD Headquarters**

Stephen was looking at the memorial wall when Sharon came to find him. She was grinning like a crazy person, and for the first time he could really see her glow. He gave her a hug and offered her the seat next to him, wondering why she was so happy.

"Estelle and Will settled out of Court. We've got the kids; she gets to see them occasionally but not all the time…" Sharon grinned as she rested her head on Stephen's shoulder. "Finally, it's all going to be okay. Just got to make sure she's happy, and we're all good." She stroked her stomach.

"That's great, Sharon, it really is." Stephen smiled at her.

He had known her for years ever since she had come to the LAPD, had seen her work and knew a rough outline of her past. He had been one of the few officers Wendell had trusted to help him in getting her out of her marriage. Ever since Sharon had punched out another officer who had bruised a young woman during an arrest she was later proved innocent for, he knew she would take over Internal Affairs.

"Will told me he offered you the Assistant Chief job and you refused. Why, Stephen? You'd be an amazing Chief of Operations."

Stephen nodded, smiling. "I need to wrap up one last Internal Affairs investigation, I'm seeing a witness tonight and then I'm writing up my report this weekend. By Monday morning it will all be over, and I'm going to go into Will's office and tell him that I'm taking the job, if he hasn't found anyone by then."

"The next head of Internal Affairs could take it over; they'll be fine doing it. Tell him today that you're taking the job, Stephen. Tell him today."

He grinned and hugged the woman closer. "You know what? I may just do that. Of course I need to pick a new head of Internal Affairs. I'm toying with the idea of someone from inside rather than hiring outside."

"I think you should pick Ian. He'd make a great Deputy Chief, he knows everyone well. See, it's all ready to go. Just sign the paperwork."

Stephen stood up and looked at the pictures of the dead police officers along the wall. He stood there in silence, and Sharon wondered that she had said something to upset him until he spoke again. "You know how many times I've wondered if you or Ian or Eddie or even Michael will end up on this wall?"

Sharon shook her head, not wanting to know the answer. "All the time, every case you go on I wonder. People don't think I worry, we're only Internal Affairs. Pencil pushers. We uphold the law, we watch the watchmen. The people we hunt know how to kill, they carry guns. They have a million supporters behind the blue line. And you four, you are so reckless. Eddie barely goes out with a vest anymore; you keep running into dangerous situations. Ian is in hospital every other week with a motocross accident, and Michael doesn't know how to watch his mouth."

"We could be more careful, I can be more careful."

He turned around to face her, smiling at her gently. "You could be, but you wouldn't be you. The reason all four of you are here is because you protect people, people who can't protect themselves because the person behind their pain has so much power. It's going to be a pain to leave you, but you need to grow. I want you as the head of Internal Affairs, Sharon."

She shook her head, shocked by his offer. "I'm happy in FID. I still have work there."

"Sometimes you need to stop trying to atone, or to make amends and realise that your work is done, Sharon. We protect the people of Los Angeles; I have protected them for five years. Now it's your turn. You need to step up and stop trying to make right your father's death. It's righted, it's over. He would be so proud of you, and his granddaughter."

He left Sharon with tears falling down her cheeks.

**12:45pm**

**Sandwich Shop**

She was running out to get lunch. Will was in meetings all day, and Flynn and the others were finally out on a new case. An officer from the Gang Unit had shot a suspect, and they needed to evaluate whether it was a clean hit or not. Flynn looked excited to be going out on his first case, and Sharon had given Tony permission to teach him and run him through the procedure. She needed to be by herself for a few hours, and tomorrow she would evaluate the boys and see which one would be taking over as head of FID.

She had been offered the head of Internal Affairs, Sharon couldn't believe it. She would be a Deputy Chief, the same ranking as Scarlett O'Hara! She should really be nice to Brenda now, she had been helpful and sweet when she had been in trouble and as long as she kept her hands on Flynn and away from Will then she could keep them. She'd have a bigger office, maybe somewhere where she could put a play mat for when Andie was bigger. She hadn't seen the whole of the new IA block, but she knew there was a huge conference room. There was also a bigger pay packet.

"Could I have a huge turkey sub please, three packets of crisps, a really big coke drink and about four cookies, thank you," Sharon asked the clerk. She was starving, she hadn't eaten breakfast, and the nurse from yesterday had scared her.

Although pregnancy weight when carrying girls usually went all around rather than created a huge bump, Sharon was underweight. Very underweight. Things had been so tense the last few months with going back, and Hanson and Sam and custody hearings, so she hadn't been eating properly. Willie Rae had tried getting her to eat healthier, but once she had moved out that had stopped. She knew she should eat better, but it was the last thing on her mind. Taking all her heaps of food, she left the sandwich shop.

"Hey, Sharon."

She looked around to be confronted by Ricky Luca. She had known him since she was a teenager; he had been one of Sam's friends. In fact, once he had got set up in LA with her, Ricky and a couple of others had come down to join them. She hadn't seen him for years, not since she had divorced Sam and moved on with her life.

"Ricky." The LAPD building was only across the street, she could probably make a run for it if she felt like her life was in danger. But she knew she needed to tough this out, she couldn't retreat whenever she felt threatened.

He grinned. "You look good, Sharon. Little rounder, but I hear your policeman boyfriend got you pregnant. You wouldn't happen to know where Sam is, would you."

She shook her head.

"Really? Because the last any of us saw him he was following you across the hotel, and then nothing. Haven't seen him since Tuesday, and we're getting kinda worried about him."

"It's only Friday, maybe he went to Vegas for the week."

Sharon turned to leave, not wanting to continue on the conversation anymore. Ricky pulled her against the wall and pressed the end of his gun into her stomach. She grimaced at the pain, shaking with fear. "What did you do to him, huh? Did your policeman boyfriend shoot him in the head, cause that's murder, even if he is the Chief of fucking Police."

Sharon's mouth grew dry; all she could think about was her daughter. Suddenly there was a clicking sound, and Ricky turned around to come face to face with another gun. "You're going to come with me, son, or I'm going to tell your mommy about how you tried to scare a pregnant woman and how I put a bullet in your brain."

Ricky was pulled off Sharon, and she started to gasp for air. She felt for her daughter, and started to cry at feeling her move against her hand. The man who had helped her didn't look familiar, and he borrowed Sharon's handcuffs and put them on Ricky as he marched both of them over to the new LAPD building.

"He was trying to threaten a pregnant woman, so book him and talk to Deputy Chief Johnson, alright?" the man told the officers at the door as they lead Ricky, shouting obscenities, down to the bowels of the building. The man passed Sharon a paper cup of water that one of the secretaries gave him. "You trying to get yourself killed?"

"Wasn't my fault. Thank you, though."

The man smiled and patted her shoulder. "No problem sweetheart, always a sucker for a pretty girl."

"Sharon?"

Both of them turned to the voice by the elevator and watched as Will Pope and Brenda Leigh Johnson came off of it. Will ran to Sharon and held her close, burying his hands in her hair. "What happened?"

"One of Sam's guys came after me, Sam is MIA. This officer arrested him."

Will turned and smiled at the man, recognising him. "Wes Carpenter, good to see you again. Thank you for your help, I mean that. Babe, let's go up to my office and get some lunch. I need to call the gang unit and talk to them about this, see what they've got on Broker's gang of thugs."

Will and Sharon went back on the elevator, Sharon shivering and Will's fists clenching. Wes waved them away until his tie was grabbed by Brenda and dragged off into a corner of the LAPD foyer. She pushed him against the wall, fury ripping apart her face. Ever since Will had mentioned him last night she knew he would come sniffing around again. Her instincts were right.

"What the hell is your problem, Wes? Why the hell are you here?"

Wes laughed at the angry southern accent coming through and pushed Brenda back. "It's not all about you, darling. The world doesn't revolve around Brenda Leigh Johnson. You seem to be getting on great here, Andrew talks highly about Pope and I thought I might as well try it out for size."

Brenda scoffed, shaking her head at him. "This isn't about Will or the LAPD. No one's seen you for years and you suddenly swan in here, saving the Chief's fiancée? You still after Anton for murdering your wife?"

Wes pushed up into Brenda's face and she pushed right back. Wes didn't intimidate her, never had. They were the two best interrogators the CIA had ever trained, and both had left for different reasons. "Last time I checked, love, he was after you as well. But I guess it was more his wife who wanted to slash your throat then he did. Always told you that your mouth had a better use."

Brenda went for him again, but Wes pushed her onto the stairwell. He shook his head and leant against the wall. "He's dead, anyway. Got killed by a terrorist cell last year. I'm here, Brenda, because I need to get out of DC, and half way across the country seemed a good place to go. I haven't been able to track down whoever killed my family, who actually pulled the trigger rather than just sat there and watched." He snarled at her and she had the good decency to look away. "I don't have a life, Brenda; I'm a former CIA agent who's been grieving for fifteen years. I just need to start to live."

She nodded, and her face grew clouded "No one knows that I was an agent, Wes. They know I was trained by the CIA, but as far as being an agent for seven years goes? You can't tell anyone that, Will knows some basics but he doesn't know all we did."

"My wife didn't either, and look where that got her."

She wiped her hands over her face and stood up away from Wes. "I'm happy, Wes, with a boyfriend who I really love and a job that I can do better than anyone else. Please don't wreck it for me"

"Been following your career, notice a little of that vigilante streak's still in you, Brenda. That was always your issue, trying to get justice. How many did you send back in there, knowing they would be killed?"

"How many did they kill in the first place?" Brenda asked. "I want justice for the people who no one cares about, Wes. It's why I'm here. I don't care if you get it; I don't care if you go to the LA Times and tell them how many people I shot, there have been crazier stories in this town. So whatever you're here for, just leave already."

Brenda walked away from Wes, but his voice carried back to her. "You never had to shoot anyone, did you Brenda? Couple of words, couple of hours with you interrogating them and they would break in half." His footsteps echoed and they crossed paths again. "You used to be obsessed by the big picture, and I'm glad you finally decided to concentrate on the small one. Like my wife, a small picture that no one seems to care about. See you around, Brenda."

She hissed as he walked off in the distance, and Brenda wondered if she should tell Will what was going on. But she decided to leave it for another day, and concentrate on the murder she could solve.

**17:56 pm**

**New LAPD Headquarters**

He had the files in his pocket, the confession from Webster on tape. He was heading over to see Brody, to confront him with the evidence. The little bastard would no doubt try and deny it, but then would break down and he could arrest him there and then. When Sharon and her team came in for their second part of their seventy two hour deadline, he could tell her in no uncertain terms that Brody was behind bars for all that he had done.

It was quite an extensive list too. Stephen had found evidence of selling drugs out of the evidence lockers to gang members, signing off on issues of officer involved violence that FID wasn't notified about. Then there was Sharon, who no doubt worried him. One bad move, and she would have his job as well as his balls in the palm of her hand. Brody had manipulated Webster for his own ends, but his time was running out.

"Hey, Chief, you heading out?" Ian asked as he passed over the last of the paperwork. It was only FID who would be working a little later than usual, but it seemed a clean hit so they wouldn't be working into the night.

"Yeah, need to see someone about this case I'm investigating. I'll see you Monday, Ian, have a good weekend."

"Will do, boss. Hey, Flynn was mentioning about us all going to a baseball game or something as a baby shower for Sharon? I mean she won't want a bunch of girls and finger sandwiches while discussing Real Housewives of Orange County." Stephen looked at him oddly for a moment before Ian shrugged. "My ex girlfriend used to watch it. Bored the shit out of me. But I'm serious, it would be fun. Plus we could welcome Flynn to the team that way."

Stephen grinned. "We'll see, Ian. We may be getting some changes come through in the next few weeks, but we'll do something to celebrate, I'm sure."

"You finally leaving us?" Eddie asked as he entered the doorway. Michael was also coming through with some paperwork, interested in the conversation they were having. Eddie started to cheer. "Three stars! Three stars! Three stars! Inflict your ass on the rest of the LAPD! Who's taking over? Me?"

"No one wants you to be in charge."

"A monkey would be better in charge," Michael shot back, and the two men squared off against each other until Ian broke it up.

Stephen realised maybe he wanted to leave, the four of them were like siblings and got into regular fights. Of course the four of them were very unique. Michael, head of Administration Investigation, had had his sister killed by a dirty cop from Chicago. He'd left for LA soon after. Eddie had been in the army, and had seen enough trauma to serve him a lifetime. Ian had worked with Sharon for decades, and had only joined the police force after he had been stabbed and two off duty officers had done nothing. Sharon was there to stop officers taking their lives when they didn't need to. They all wanted to make the world and the LAPD a better place.

"I haven't decided if I get the Assistant Chief position who will take over."

"Better be Sharon," Ian teased. "She's the only one of us who can work a stapler."

"Or turn a computer on," Michael joked, turning to Eddie.

Stephen shook his head and shooed them all away. "Go, enjoy your weekend. I'll see you all Monday."

Once finished packing up, he walked down the corridor, smiling at Sharon who was also leaving. "Deputy Chief Raydor, walk you to your car?"

She flipped him the finger, but he walked her down to where Will was parked. It had a nice ring to it, the new rank, and if everything went well tonight, then Internal Affairs and Sharon Raydor could finally recognise their full potential.

**21:06pm**

**Sigma Theta Pia Fraternity Housing**

Alex couldn't make it; he had a date of his own to go to. Mina had wanted to come, but Otto had put his foot down and said that she wasn't allowed out to any frat parties. Over the phone, Tommy heard her distinctly threaten her grandfather not to race anymore, but Tommy agreed that maybe it was a bad idea if she went. He didn't want to be on the wrong end of Sharon Raydor if he got her goddaughter into any trouble. So he had asked Danny to come with him to ward off any trouble, and the two boys had ended up in the Frat party sometime after nine.

It was already going strong; there were plenty of people who were already enjoying themselves. There was plenty of drink, plenty of scantily clad girls. Tommy could see a small corner where a dealer stood, handing out his stash for a considerable fee. There were couples making out everywhere, and a DJ pumped out loud music.

"This all you thought it would be?" Danny joked as they moved into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Who says this is my first frat party?" Tommy asked as he looked at the contents of the kitchen table. There was tons of beer, shooters and mixers, but nothing non alcoholic from what he could see. There were plastic cups, so he got one and moved over to the tap.

Danny laughed as he watched Tommy drink water. "You know, you're not what I imagined. I thought you'd be waiting to kick loose, just enjoy yourself."

"Been enjoying myself this way for years, it's not worth it. I prefer to ride, to be with friends. Hell, this weekend I'm going along on my first FID case."

Danny grinned at the enthusiasm in Tommy's face, but it lessened when he caught someone going down into the frat house basement. He recognised the face before it disappeared and it looked like Jacob Weaver. He was with an entirely different, rival fraternity and Danny had no idea why he would be there in the first place. Shaking his head, he turned back to Tommy who was bobbing his head to the music.

One of the girls from earlier came into the kitchen and put her arms around Tommy. "Hey, you. What you drinking there?"

"Vodka, straight up," Tommy lied, knowing if people knew he was sipping on water he would never live it down, nor be invited back again. Or, he would be first to down an entire beer keg.

The girl ran her hands down Tommy's arms. "That's so hard core. You want to dance?"

"No thanks, sweetheart. I'd rather dance with someone pretty," Tommy threw out, and the girl gasped and flounced away, but turned back and winked at him. Tommy picked a toothpick up from the table and stuck it in his mouth. He could see why Flynn did it; it certainly made him look cool.

Danny just shook his head and turned to his young friend. "She's a cheerleader, boy, and a hot one at that! You are one strange cookie."

Tommy grinned. "There's a girl I like, but she's in Atlanta. It's not set in stone, yet, but I'd rather wait and date her than get something resembling instant gratification with one of the Bruins sluttiest."

The two boy's clinked glasses of water together and watched as the party went around them. Girls and boys of various ages came in and out of the kitchen to get drink, to get food or pick up a condom or two from the big bowl in the table, part of the fraternity's desire to promote safe sex. Tommy was using his phone to text Charlie little anecdotes from the party he knew she'd find funny, and Danny just smiled, glad to see his new friend so happy.

**23:57 pm**

It was getting close to midnight, and Danny reached for Tommy's wrist. He was going to take him out of the frat house before things got too dangerous, he had seen Jacob twice again and wanted to keep Tommy safe and out of harm's way. His only enjoyment had been texting Charlie so when he suggested going out for more beer with a wink, they had decided to go.

"Hey, you going your holiness?" asked one of the frat boys from earlier. A group of them gathered around by the door where Tommy and Danny were about to leave. They produced a circle around them, stopping them from getting to the door.

Tommy turned around to the guy standing between him and freedom. "Let me out."

"Not today."

He turned around to see Jacob Weaver, who punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Some of the football players held Danny back as Jacob kicked a rib out of joint. "Bring him downstairs," Jacob cheered, and the group gathered Tommy and Danny and took them down to the basement. No one thought any wiser, and continued on partying.

One of the frat boys locked the basement door behind them as Tommy was dragged down. He was thrown onto the floor, Danny still being held back. Jacob got into his face, trying to taunt Tommy's protector. "Eddie Hanson killed your sister as well as mine, he's the reason, _he is_. Hanson wanted him; he's the reason why Keighley is dead, and why you don't have a sister anymore."

Danny looked at Tommy on the floor, and then turned to the set up that Jacob had created. "What do you think you're doing, you psychopath!"

All of Jacob's friends and the boys from the fraternity were down there watching. Even some of the girls from earlier were there, some he had talked to. All of them blamed him for the girls' deaths; and they wanted to prove it. Two of the frat boys hoisted Tommy off of the floor and he caught sight of what they had done.

Lying on a decorating table, wearing nothing but her underwear, was Mina. She had come to the party after all, and Jacob must have caught up with her. There was no recognition in her eyes when Tommy looked at her: they had drugged her.

"What did you do?" Tommy asked Jacob, worried for his friend.

"Used the same drugs Hanson used to subdue my sister. We sprayed her down with a hose but didn't take her underwear off, we're not that freaky. You can, if you want." Jacob reached over and pressed a knife into Tommy's hand. He looked at the blade, at how thin it was. It was a replica of the one Hanson had used to kill so many people. Jacob whispered in his ear. "Come on, Tommy. You know this; you can feel it rushing in your blood. You want to do this, you want to try it out and see what it feels like. Hanson saw you as his protégé, live up to his legacy."

Jacob pushed him away so he knocked into the decorating table. He looked at Mina lying there; barely aware of what was going on. The blade felt so light in his hand, and he'd often wondered what it would be like to slit his own wrists, take an overdose of pills. Before dragging his car onto the tracks he had gone through so many methods of how he could kill himself. He had never thought about hurting others.

"Tommy…" Danny whispered softly.

"Come on, kid. Make Hadley proud."

Tommy looked at the knife in his hand, and then at Mina. The blood was pushing through his veins; he was getting such an adrenaline kick, bigger than anything that riding or sex had given him. Had this been what Hadley had felt? Had this been what had made him so happy over the years? Jacob smiled as he watched Tommy grow closer to the table.

**21:15pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

Andy was dancing around the kitchen, a very happy man. He had been on his first case today, and was getting some energy back into his blood. He turned to Brenda as she cooked dinner, watching as she looked confused. They were making a pasta dish, fairly simple but Brenda had a tendency to make things rock hard or too chewy, so Flynn was teaching her a few new things.

Deciding for a new tactic in teaching, Brenda sighed as his lips found her neck, caressing with her mouth. He could do things to her no man could, the sound of his voice just made her go weak at the knees and the fact that he knew where she wanted to be touched only heightened her arousal. He understood her so well, it made her heart leap.

They became lost in each other, and it was only when the pasta started to boil that Andy realised the temperature in the room had sky rocketed. He turned the pasta off, stirred the sauce and left Brenda to dish up dinner. They were eating at the table today, and Brenda had opted out of her glass of merlot to drink cranberry juice and soda with Andy. She liked the taste, but more so when it was on Andy's tongue.

"So, how's your case?" Brenda asked.

Andy nodded. "It's certainly different than what we do. Jeez, I knew FID got abuse but today was pretty heavy. Anyway, the guy's shot was a clean hit, we know that, so it's just ticking off all the paperwork. I'll have to go in tomorrow, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, maybe I'll come with you and you can help me with my investigation?"

He looked interested as he snagged a bread roll. "What investigation is this? You didn't mention anything before?"

"Well, technically it's really an IA investigation; it's about a missing pair of underwear. Although I think I've got my suspect right…where…I want him." Andy shifted in his seat as Brenda massaged his crotch. He moaned with pleasure as she found the spot he liked. "I'm good at interrogation."

"That you are."

"Want me to tie you up?" Brenda's smile faltered as she realised that not long ago he had been and had sustained the injuries he was still plagued from. The talk of interrogation, while initially fun, had turned sour and she kept flashing back to her discussion with Wes earlier that day. She ate a few mouthfuls of pasta, and it wasn't until she felt familiar hands crawling up her leg that she realised Andy wasn't mad.

"How about we get these dishes cleaned up, we unpack the last of the boxes and then we can go celebrate our moving in in bed?"

Brenda giggled. "You're on, Captain, you're on."

The two of them ate as quickly as they could, barely tasting the meal. Brenda washed up while Andy dried, sorting out the dishes that they now shared. It would be their first weekend together in their first place together…there was no hesitation, no doubt in her mind. She wanted to spend her life with Flynn, and she wanted to do it now. Tired of waiting, tired of debating. He was what she wanted, and no one was going to take him from her.

**22:45 pm**

They'd washed the dishes, and were now unpacking the last of Andy's stuff. Clothes, a few books he had. Brenda was humming with anticipation; she was looking forward to being in their bed again, just being with Andy. There was a knock on the door, and Brenda left Andy unpacking the last two boxes to go and answer it.

She opened the door and looked up to find Lana standing on the doorway. "Lana." Her face fell, worried. "Can I help you?"

Brenda didn't find out what Lana wanted as she struck her in the face, knocking the blonde out and down to the floor. She moved Brenda inside the door and locked it behind her. The blonde was collapsed on the floor, blood pooling at her temple.

"Brenda? Who's at the door?"

Time to say hello to Andy.

**23:16 pm**

"Brenda. BRENDA!"

She stirred, not sure what was going on. Had she fallen asleep on the sofa again? She was so tired of late; the stress of everything had hit her in some bizarre form of narcolepsy. Oh god, had she fallen asleep during sex? Her eyes blinked harshly against the warm lighting of her bedroom, where she was pressed up against a wall.

"Andy?" she said groggily, looking up not into his face but into Lana's. Pain shot through her as she remembered being smacked in the head by Lana, collapsing to the floor. She turned her head to the right and saw that Andy was tied up next to her, his bandaged arm coiled behind his back. The agony in his face was unbearable.

"Hello Brenda, so nice to see you again."

Brenda didn't say anything, but Andy was not so quiet. "Lana, what do you want?"

She moved over to Andy, smiling at him. "I want you, silly. But I can't have you, because she does. She's always had you." She ran a hand down herself. "Look at me; I'm just a carbon copy. Not even the real thing, am I? Was that why you slept with me, Andy, because you wanted her? Is that it?"

Andy looked under hooded lids, anger pulsing through his veins. He should be able to subdue her, but with his arm he was useless. Lies wouldn't save him. "Yes. I want her, you were just a substitute."

"Lie to her for god's sake, Andy, don't tell her the truth," Brenda grimaced through the pain. "What do you want, Lana? You want to punish me for stealing your boyfriend, go ahead. Just leave Andy out of it, he's been through enough this year."

Lana reached over and pressed her fingers to the wound on Brenda's head, causing her to cry out. She smacked the blonde detective on the cheek. "I don't take orders from you, sweetie."

She left the room, taking with her two gas bottles that had been by the bed. Lana returned briefly and put gags around Brenda and Andy to stop them screaming. Brenda tried hard to make noise as they heard the sloshing sound of gasoline hitting the floor. She kept trying to break out of her bindings, and Andy tried as well. They were handcuffs, done so tight they were digging into their skin. They were their own.

When Lana had finished, she came back in and sat in front of Andy. She pulled the gag down, looked at him. "You know, if you had just _called _instead of cheating on me with _her, _then we wouldn't be at this point. But no, you sent me away so you could fuck her in secret, didn't even call me when you were hurt. Makes me feel worthless, more than looking at her does!"

"Lana, we can talk about this. Okay, I'm sorry I cheated on you, I'm sorry I used you. But you know I'm a good guy. Haven't you ever felt so in love you'd do anything?"

"Yes." She kissed Andy, her lips placed firmly on his. "And I will."

Lana grabbed the remaining can of gasoline and picked it up. She drained the contents over Brenda's head while the blonde screamed against her gag, trying desperately to wriggle out of her bonds. Lana made sure every drop was poured out over her head, the gas making her hair stick to her face. Her tears mixed with the gasoline, and Lana had to put the gag back over Andy to stop him from screaming.

His ex girlfriend kneeled in front of him and whispered in his ear, in perfect sight of Brenda. "Now, if you had just called, I wouldn't be burning her, would I?"

She grabbed Andy by his bad arm, and he started to scream in pain. Lana looked towards Brenda in the doorway, gripping onto Andy like a dog. "You know they used to burn witches and harlots at the stake, Brenda. It's your place."

Andy screamed for Brenda as he was dragged out of the bedroom. She began to wail as she felt the gasoline drip to the floor.

**23:24 pm**

Lana pushed Flynn in the lounge up against the sofa. He looked at the pools of gasoline leading to the bedroom, spread all over his and Brenda's belongings. She grabbed his chin and wrenched off the gag. She didn't look crazy, didn't look obsessed. She looked happy, like she had finally got what she wanted.

"You know, Andy, all I wanted was for us to get a happy ever after. Is that so bad? Kids, a little house in New Jersey? But…no. You had to come back here; you couldn't stay with me and your family."

"Surprisingly, Lana, I don't consider New Jersey home, or you my family."

Lana smiled at that, and took out a pack of matches from her pocket. She lit a flame. It danced in the air, and Flynn watched as she made it wobble. She blew out the match and turned to Andy. She knelt down and grinned. Relief sprung up in his heart - she wasn't a killer, she was just trying to teach them a lesson.

"I hate to hear you scream."

She reached around his neck and pulled the gag back into his mouth. Andy began to scream again, joined by Brenda's from the bedroom. Lana pulled out another match, struck it and threw the flame into the air. It lit up the house; the accelerant and the wooden furniture causing sparks to fly everywhere. Andy rolled himself onto his side, trying to get out of the path of the fire. He cried for Brenda, cried for her to get out, but he could barely hear himself.

The last thing he saw was Lana's face in the flames.

**19:42 pm**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Tommy was out at a party with his new friend. Jean was in her hotel room, planning bonding activities for her and her son for the weekend. Estelle had taken Caitlin and Brendan out for dinner, and they were texting him every hour so he wouldn't worry that they were on the first plane to Mexico. Ricky had confessed, been charged and would be spending some time in lock up. Hanson was dead, there was no psychopath after them and no one in prison would be escaping. So Will decided to do what he had wanted to do for Valentine's Day.

Sharon had woken up from a brief nap to find an invitation and her little black dress laid out for her. She came down to find that the kitchen had been covered in candles and a romantic table cloth placed over the table. The food was rich Italian dishes, covered in pasta and cheese. There was some ice cream on the side chilling, and there was a large bottle of non alcoholic wine. She had been distressed to find the dress a little loose, but all thoughts were washed away when she saw Will wearing a tuxedo without the tie, carrying a huge bouquet of roses in his arms.

"You did all this for me?"

"Yeah, I did." Will moved over and kissed her softly. "I know you're stressed, I know this whole thing with Sam is worrying you but you did the right thing. Got to show Sam he can't threaten you and get away with it. Anyway, that's the last I'll say on the subject. More importantly, this is our dinner. The Valentine's dinner we were supposed to have. You've already got the gift I was going to give you, but I thought we might as well celebrate. We have a lot to, our daughter, our marriage, the rest of our lives."

Sharon blushed as he tucked her in her chair, kissing her neck. He poured them each a glass of wine, and dished up the food in front of them. Her stomach grumbled, she had once again barely eaten. He placed a ton of food on her plate, and she dug into the lasagne, enjoying the pasta with sounds usually reserved for him. There were bread rolls and a side helping of fried potatoes if she wanted them. He had been cooking all evening, wanting things to be perfect.

"This is amazing, Will. What did I ever do to deserve you?" Sharon asked off handily, but Will reached across and stroked her hand.

"Believe me; I'm always trying to wonder how you fell in love with me. Maybe we should both accept that we love each other, and that we deserve the love."

Sharon nodded and reached over the table to kiss him. They continued to eat, and Will watched happily as Sharon's whole face seemed to brighten. They talked about work; they talked about the kids and what they would be getting up to that night. Sharon's engagement ring made patterns dance on the ceiling: the whole night was magical.

Will smiled, taking another helping of lasagne. There would be no left overs at this rate, but he didn't care. He could go to the gym if need be. "Where do you want to go for our honeymoon? Anywhere you want."

Sharon bit her lip before reaching over to squeeze his knee. He grinned. "Where do you want to go?"

He thought for a moment before opening another bottle of wine. "Monte Carlo. Expensive as hell, but there's beaches, casinos…we could spend the weekend there, just enjoy ourselves."

"Spend lots of taxpayers' money?"

"Always a plus."

After dinner had all been eaten and Sharon had eaten a whole tub of ice cream to herself, Will reached for her hand. He changed the music on the stereo to something slow and romantic, and pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the moment as they swayed together. She couldn't imagine a place she wanted to be more than in his arms, right that moment. Will held onto her, savouring their dance.

**20:16 pm**

He had carried her into their bedroom and placed her on the bed, his lips never a few centimetres from an area of her skin. They collapsed onto the bed sheets, Will nibbling on her neck. Sharon pushed herself up on the pillows and brought him towards her, stroking his face. She kissed him again.

"Do you remember the time after we broke up that we ended up making out on here?" Sharon teased, and Will nodded, smiling as he pulled away from Sharon and opened the wardrobe doors to double check that Provenza, Claudia, Simon and Flynn weren't hiding in there. Sharon collapsed in a fit of giggles.

She dragged him down by his half opened shirt and kissed his lips, making sure to taste him. She wanted him, needed him more than she had ever thought she would. Will moved his hand up her legs, stroking her inner thighs. He wanted to be careful, so he let himself be pinned to the bed by a very eager Sharon.

They removed her dress together, and Will gazed over her skin in the black underwear she was wearing. It made her look paler than usual, and worry crossed his features. Sam's bruises stuck out on her skin. Her scars that were visible from that angle looked horrifying. Sharon pushed him hard to the bed and swallowed his mouth, trying to stop him from looking so scared for her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to slow her down. He wanted to be a gentleman, as much as he could be. His hands moved her legs around him, and he looked up at her with all the lust he could muster.

"Don't look at me like that, Will. Just be happy, be happy I'm here. Don't be scared, baby, no need to be. I'm not."

She was trembling, and Will pulled off his own shirt and wrapped it around Sharon. It dwarfed her thin frame. He kicked off his trousers and socks and brought her under the covers with him. He held her, stroking her hands and the scars on her back. "I love you, Sharon."

Sharon rested her head on his chest, and stroked the muscle she could feel under the skin. His arms held her safe in a cocoon of warmth, and she wondered whether she could talk to him. He wanted her to talk, wanted to tell him what she was thinking, feeling. But she couldn't find the words to tell him what she needed to, because she was trying hard not to feel anything at all.

**22:42 pm**

Sharon was asleep when Will looked out of their bedroom window. It was a cool September night, and while he was worried about Sharon he realised he should just enjoy his time with her. She would open up, talk to him when she was ready. He didn't need to push her, didn't need to ask after her health and make sure she didn't waste away. It wasn't what she needed from him right now.

Looking out the window he saw there was a car with a man standing out front, looking at the house. He didn't recognise the man, didn't recognise the car, but he knew there was something odd about it. He got dressed and reached for his badge and gun. Walking down the steps, he made sure that the door was locked. Caitlin and Brendan would be coming back in about an hour - their mother was taking them to a fairground. They had sent him pictures. Right now it was just him and Sharon.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Will looked at the man standing by the car, who looked surprised to see that he had come out. He was tall, maybe taller than he was. Broad, with tanned skin. He didn't know who he was, but he had some idea.

"Sam Broker, I presume."

The man chuckled, and Will had guessed right. This was the man that had beaten Sharon constantly, no doubt raped her and then made her miscarry her child. This was the man who had taken his fiancée only a few days previously and scared her so much that she could barely function. This was the man whose friend had put a loaded gun against Sharon's stomach with his baby girl inside.

"Will Pope, I presume. Chief of Police, don't see your bodyguards anywhere. You going to hit me, Pope? Is that why you came out here?"

"I could easily arrest you for assault."

Broker smiled. "But you won't, because Sharon won't press charges. She is confused, but she loves me, always has. There have been other men like there have been other women for me, but there will be no one else but each other."

"Really?" Will knew he was playing with fire but for once he didn't want to be the good boy, he didn't want to stand back and just let things go. He protected his family, took care of them. Sharon was part of his family and whether she liked it or not, he was going to take care of her. "Because the way I see it, Sam, she's engaged to _me_. She's carrying _my _child. She's in _our_ bed, right now, in _our_ house, waiting for _our_ kids to come home. You may have had her once, but you abused your right, quite literally, to ever have her again."

Sam laughed, sitting on the bonnet of his car. His clothes were expensive, rich and tailored. Will was in an LAPD t-shirt and whatever trousers he picked up from the floor. They weren't even in the same league. "I know her better than you could ever. I knew her father. I was there when Mickey Raydor died. I know her inside and out."

"You want us to have a fight over Sharon? Fine, we can do that. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter, because if Mickey Raydor had been alive to see you scar his daughter the way you have done, he'd have killed you. I may not have met him, I may not have seen her as a teenager but I know her, I know her heart. I see how she is at work, how she helps and defends people. I see the way she is with my kids. I see the woman she's become, _despite _you. Now get the hell off of this street before I call the police."

Will turned around to go back to the house when Sam grabbed his back and forced him onto the bonnet of his car. He slammed Will's face against the metal before pressing the blade of a knife against Will's back. "One move, and I'll slice you open."

"Do it, that will really get you the girl." Will snarled. "Tell me, did you ever give a thought to you killing your own son?"

Sam loosened his grip in shock and Will kicked him in the chest. He pulled his gun from his waist, unlocked the safety and chambered a round. He pointed the gun at Sam's head. Will left off a shot just close to Sam's shoulder to scare him.

"What, you think because I wear a badge that I'm going to be afraid of you? Not fight back? You have no idea what I'd do to protect my family." Will pulled out his phone. "Hi, this is Chief William Pope. I need a couple of black and whites at my address, a suspect just tried to assault me. Thank you." He turned to Sam, kicking his legs. "You don't frighten me, Sam. You're pathetic, obsessed. I don't even pity you, that's how little I care for you."

The two black and whites and the officers came along. Will gave them his statement, mentioned about the previous assault. He knew Sam would deny it and he would be out by tomorrow morning, but for tonight they were safe. Sam was forced into the car as Will holstered his gun, wanting to stay home with his fiancée. They would go in tomorrow morning and fill in a statement.

Sharon came out and joined him, having heard the gunshot. She looked at the departing Sam and shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that, Will. He'll come after you…he'll kill you."

Will pressed his mouth to Sharon's hungrily, and she took his kiss with gusto. "I don't fucking give a damn what he does. He's not part of us, he's the past. All that matters is us and the kids."

Sharon kissed him again, not looking back to where Sam was being led away. Maybe Will was right, it was time to stop letting it all wash over her, let it become part of the present. She wanted to feel alive again.

**23:29 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

They had gone for a walk. Sharon was glowing, but Will had started to shake from his experience with Sam. They both agreed that going for a walk was a good idea, just to take their minds off of it. Caitlin and Brendan were still out with their mother, so it was just them. Tommy hadn't called about the party, but Will was going to wait a little longer before he started to worry.

"You think they'll mind us popping in to say hello?" Sharon asked as they walked down the street.

Will shook his head. "I don't think so. If they're busy and there's no answer, we'll go get ice cream. I just want to see if Brenda's okay, she was weird this afternoon after seeing Wes."

Sharon smiled and leaned in to Will's embrace more. "Well whether he's a nut job or not, he saved my ass with Ricky. For that I am forever grateful."

They continued walking until they could see flames flickering in the distance. "Someone's having a bonfire," Sharon stated, but it wasn't the Fourth of July or Halloween. Both of them grew concerned.

They walked faster and Will started to run. "It's Brenda's house!"

Sharon stopped and took out her phone, calling for fire fighters to come to Brenda's house immediately. After ending the call she ran to join her fiancée. There were a few people who had rushed out of their homes, a lot on phones calling the fire brigade. Sharon reached the house just as Will kicked in the door to go inside.

"WILL!"

He could barely hear Sharon screaming for him. He knew he should wait for the fire fighters, but he wasn't sure if Andy's arm would be too much of a hindrance for Brenda. There was no sign of them outside, and his calls to them had only been returned with the gutting of flames. He moved in through the door, trying to see where everyone was.

"BRENDA! ANDY!"

He called out for them, but got no response. The flames were high, consuming everything. He turned to the right of the living room and Will saw a figure on the floor. Rushing over it, dodging flames, he saw it was Flynn. His arm was twisted back into handcuffs, and he was gagged. Will reached for his arms, slotting them over his own so he could drag the bound Andy out of the burning building. The house looked unstable, and there was no obvious sign of Brenda anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

Pushing through the doorway again, Will and Andy came outside to the gathering crowd. Sharon and some of the neighbours took Andy off of his hands, gave him some water to sip as he sucked air into his lungs. Sharon picked the lock on his handcuffs, giving him the room to move. Andy looked desperately to the house.

"Brenda. Bedroom."

There was no sign of the fire fighters anywhere; traffic was high on Friday nights. Sharon held onto Flynn and watched horrified as her fiancée went back inside the burning building after their friend.

**23:37 pm**

Brenda had managed to kick the door closed to keep out the flames. She kept screaming for Andy, but no one came for her. She had removed the gag around her mouth and kept screaming, but it seemed that the flames were too loud for her. Smoke started to creep under the door, and she grew light headed.

Andy's ring felt cold against her chest, and as she began to lose consciousness she thought about him and only him. About the life they could have had, about the memories they could have created. She had been too afraid of change, too afraid of going after what she wanted. Once again she had left living too soon and now it seemed like it was going to be taken away from her.

Flames started to lick under the door as she blacked out.

**23:37 pm**

She looked at the watch of the man also taking care of Flynn, and saw that three minutes had gone past since Will had gone inside. The emergency services were on their way, but there were several other fires that night in industrial areas, the woman on the phone had said. Andy was in good hands, there was a doctor on site who was checking his heart rate and had given him something for the shock - his arm looked awful.

"Andy, I'll be back."

He couldn't even summon the energy to tell her not to go inside the house. But he knew she wouldn't listen to him. Ignoring the protests of the others who were desperately calling the emergency services, Sharon went inside the building. She put her sleeve over her mouth to stop coughing the fumes, and looked around for her lover.

"WILL!"

She heard him call out her name in response and stumbled over to the hallway where Will was trapped. The dining room table had collapsed on his leg, forcing him to the ground. His face was white, and she rushed over to try and help him up.

"Sharon," he coughed. "Get the hell out of here."

She tried to move the table, but it was hard. She wasn't strong enough to do it, and there seemed to be metal digging into Will's flesh. He had tried to be a hero and it had got him nowhere. Sharon could roughly see the pathway to the bedroom, and to the flames attacking the closed door. She turned back and gave it one more try to force the wood off of him but he screamed in agony.

"Sharon, go. Please, just get the hell out. I'll be right behind you."

"Liar." She moved over to his side and gripped his face within her own. "You remember what you said to me yesterday? About how you couldn't live without me? Well I can't live without you, not going to try. So I'm here, with you. Where you go, I go. If you die…I'm already dead."

Will smiled and kissed Sharon as hard as he could. They weren't going to give up; they both kept trying to move the piece of wood off of Will's leg. He kept screaming in pain, but Sharon kissed him to dull it. They kept at it as the flames grew nearer. Ceiling tiles crashed around them, but Will reached for her hand, keeping it tight within his own. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she looked at him.

"I love you," Sharon whispered in his ear, clinging onto him as best she could. Will used his free hand to wipe the tears away from her face. He smiled at her, looking at her with more love than she could ever want.

"I love you too."

The sky continued to fall.

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Article from "Enterprises" Magazine, Issue 104, dated May 2010_

_"At home with Sam Broker" by Jason Bauer _

_Sam Broker is a man for our times. Despite the rumours of gang related murder and money laundering charges created by the FBI, the only thing this reporter can uncover is that the man can make a mean omelette and run a highly successful property business. Sam owns a huge amount of property over Los Angeles County, from high price hotels to smaller suburb areas, making some places safer to live in for the residents. _

_"I just try and think what the area was like where I grew up, and I try to make it a better place to live for everyone involved. The street that I lived on was nice, but there was crime and murder all the time. Suicide rates were sky high." Not much is known about the businessman, one of LA's self made elite. He has friends in Congress, knows some members of the LAPD. Born and raised in New York, he road tripped across the country when he was a teenager and ended up working odd jobs for a small business owner before eventually taking over the business himself. _

_While Sam has been successful in business, with a net worth of twenty million, he has so far been unlucky in love. He's been married four times, although Sam will only talk about the last three. "My first wife and I…we were young, we were in love. Things happen when you're young and you try and forgive yourself the best you can. It was a long time before I could ever be love again." _

_The two million dollar mansion he lives in is shared by him and his fourth wife Denise. He divorced his second wife in 1991 and she moved out of LA County, and his third wife disappeared in 1998. Police believe she ran away with a lover, and the loss still hits Sam hard. "I always think about her, think about our divorce and about how as soon as we signed the papers she was gone. It hurts." _

_What is coming next for the millionaire? "I've always thought about having children, a legacy to take into the world. Sadly Denise and I haven't been able to conceive, but hopefully one day I'll have a child to take over the reigns."_

**Thursday 16****th**** September 2010**

**7:32 am**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Will looked in the mirror, unsure how he was feeling. Back again in Court; back again facing his ex-wife to get custody over his kids. He straightened his tie, his uniform hanging in the wardrobe. He was so tempted to wear it, the silver stars shining in front of the judge. But forcing his rank on others wouldn't help anything; it might make everything a heck of a lot worse.

He looked behind himself and stared at the beautiful brunette entwined in their bed sheets. After yesterday's court session and their talk, they had not been far from each other. They had spent the entire night touching, being as close to each other as they could. Will finished adjusting his collar and moved to slide into bed behind his fiancée, reaching over for her hand. He kissed her neck and whispered how much he loved her.

"You keep saying that and it's not going to mean anything anymore."

"I can live with that."

Sharon moved out of bed, kissing him on the cheek, and went into to the bathroom to get changed. Will laid back on their bed, thinking how lucky he was. It had taken them over a year to get to the point where things were just right, but they were finally getting there. "After this whole custody debate is over, I think we should move."

"So Estelle won't find us?" Sharon came in, pulling on her jacket. No skin was on show except the hollow of her neck. Nothing to reveal the bruises on her arms by Sam, the scars from Hanson.

"No, just our own place. I've got a bigger pay check coming; we've got half the money from this house and the money from yours. We could get a nice place in a secure neighbourhood. With a pool."

Sharon smiled and turned around to face him. "Pool?"

Will grinned as he looked over her, his eyes finding hers and found the love and sadness in her green orbs. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else - he just hoped that was a choice that fate decided to give him.

"I want a pool. And a really big barbecue. I mean we don't have to save much for the wedding, we can just head to a courthouse and, hell, we could get married while we're at court today!"

Sharon laughed softly as she crawled next to Will in bed and kissed him. He pulled the covers on top of them, holding onto her as tight as he dared. "I don't want to rush it, okay?" She looked at him, he eyes empty. But suddenly a smile seemed to grow over her face and she turned around to kiss his lips. There was a sparkle there that he missed. "I want a proper wedding. White dress, tuxedos, little bridesmaid dresses. And an ice cream cake."

Will grinned and she threw her arms tight around his neck. "You can have the world, you only have to ask," he whispered against her hair. Their embrace was broken by the sound of the doorbell. Tommy came rushing into their room, grinning like a maniac.

"Come on you two love birds! I've sorted out our lawyer issue."

"We have a lawyer issue?"

Their current lawyer, while having scored some points yesterday in Court, was pretty aimless. Will had not been looking forward to today's session in Court with him again. They trailed down the steps after Tommy and waited, concerned, as he opened the door. They hadn't seen Tommy this animated for days, especially after yesterday's revelation that he still toyed with the idea of killing himself.

"MOM!"

Will's head lifted up and watched as his first ex wife came over the threshold into his house. It was the first time Sharon had ever met Jean - the last time Tommy's mother had come to LA she had been in a coma. She was blonde, tall and devastatingly pretty. His redheaded ex wife was pretty too, but her features were marred by unhappiness. Sharon felt a twinge of jealousy at the way Tommy gripped onto his mother, and Will saw her look of regret. His arm reached around her waist, stroking the skin of her hip. He knew exactly what she needed.

"Hello Jean."

"Hello Will," she beamed. "Chief Will - your mother called me the other day, she's very proud of you."

Will coughed and reached to hug Jean briefly, making no more mention of his family. He immediately went back to Sharon's side. Jean smiled as she looked up and down the thin, pregnant brunette. She was gorgeous, if a little damaged. Jean didn't miss the smiles that Tommy nor Will's other two young children hiding in the background gave her. The look he gave Sharon was so unlike anything he had ever shown her, but she felt happy for Will.

"You must be Sharon! I'm Jean, Tommy's mother. I've wanted to meet you for the longest time, Tommy's always spoken so highly of you."

Sharon shook her hand, but immediately moved back to Will's side. Will looked at Jean oddly. "Jean, why are you here? Apart from to see Tommy of course."

Jean grinned and put an arm around her son. "Well Tommy called me yesterday, wanting to catch up and it all came out. I wasn't going to let some two bit lawyer demonise my son and yours seems mostly useless, so here I am."

Will sat down on the steps, sighing. His first ex wife was defending him in a child custody suit against his second ex wife who he had left the first ex for over a decade ago. "Okay then. This year certainly can't get anymore strange."

Sharon hoped he was right.

**9:22 am**

**Courthouse **

Going into Court was bizarre. They had dropped Caitlin and Brendan off at school, although his daughter seemed reluctant to leave them. Tommy had gone with his mother, and Sharon had spent the entire car ride laughing at Will, who was worrying what would happen.

When he got inside the court room and Will sat behind the table, he realised that four of the five women in the room he had slept with. Estelle and his lawyer were sitting on the opposite table, Jean was joining him and out in the wings of the Court there was Andy, Brenda and Stephen who had come in to check up on them. Sharon and Tommy sat behind them, trying to give him support. Things were quiet at the LAPD for the time being, and he appreciated them all for coming.

Jean came into the room next, and Brenda immediately ducked down out of the way of her gaze. Even Estelle looked backwards to see the southern blonde, and Brenda realised it might not have been her best idea to come and support Will in Court. But he was her friend, and she wasn't going to let Estelle beat him down. At least Sharon was smiling at the scenario.

"Mr Pope, are you having new council?" the Judge asked from his podium.

Will stood up. "Yes sir, Councillor Jean Denny, a friend of mine from DC."

Estelle's lawyer stood up, not impressed with what was happening. "Your Honour, Mrs Denny is Mr Pope's first wife, and Tommy Pope's mother. No doubt this is a strategy to anger my client."

Jean scoffed. "With all due respect, your Honour, I am here to support my son and his family. The very basis of what we're here to discuss is parents and their children - and as my son is involved in this, I should very well be here."

The Judge nearly banged his head against his desk; this looked like it was going to be a particular vicious confrontation. "Fine, fine, Ms Denny is accepted as new council. Does Ms Lloyd have any issue proceeding with her witnesses?"

Lloyd stood up, trying a new tactic. "We rest, your Honour."

The Judge once again looked like he was going to smack his head against his table. "Ms Denny, are you ready to start your case?"

Everyone waited while Jean stood up, smiling. Estelle's lawyer's plot to throw her off game wasn't working. "Yes your honour, I'd like to call Will Pope to the stand."

Everyone shifted in their seats as Will stood up and made his way to the witness box. He kept fiddling with his collar, trying to get some air to his lungs. As he sat, his gaze found Sharon. She gave him the strength to sit up straight and look at his two ex wives. Maybe moving to somewhere like the Arctic was a good idea after all. He was sworn in, and Jean turned to him.

"Now, Mr Pope, you have four children with three women of this Court." There was laughing from the gallery, and Will groaned as he saw Provenza had joined Flynn in watching the proceedings. All, no doubt, in the name of support. Jean was smiling at him, and Will wondered if this was somehow revenge. "Could you tell me in a nutshell the custody arrangements for them?"

Will coughed. "Well my current fiancée is pregnant with my daughter, she's seven months along. Tommy, my eldest son with my first wife, lived in DC with, well, you. After I divorced my first wife to marry Estelle, I relinquished all custody to, well, you. Because Tommy would be best with his mother."

Jean grinned, and Tommy outstretched his hand for a high five under the table with Sharon. "Did you see Tommy while you were married to Estelle?"

"No ma'am. Estelle wasn't enamoured with Tommy, she didn't like having him around. It was only when I divorced Estelle that I regularly had my son during the summer. They were tense, no doubt because of the lack of contact. It's something I've always regretted. I'm happy that I'm getting the chance now."

Estelle didn't look happy, but it was the truth. Jean now went in for the kill. "When divorcing your second wife, what were the custody arrangements concerning your children Caitlin and Brendan? And before little miss LA jumps up with an objection…" she had seen Lloyd getting ready to stand up. "This is a custody hearing about the two younger Pope children, and the custody arrangement from previous hearings is relevant."

The Judge agreed. "You can answer, Mr Pope."

Will smiled sadly. "Well Estelle's second husband wasn't enamoured with our kids either, and she didn't want custody. The only reason she fought for custody, in my opinion, was to get more money in the settlement. We had a very varied custody agreement as she lived in San Francisco - she'd get them for a couple of weeks during the summer, the odd holiday depending on her plans. I would take care of Caitlin and Brendan for the most part."

Jean smiled. "Have the kids been injured during the time that you've been a single parent, taking care of your children?"

"No, not at all. Couple of grazed knees, but considering I got shot in February of this year I think that's not too serious."

"That's all, your Honour."

Lloyd stood up to provide her cross examination. "You got shot in February of this year - and you still think it's safe to have two young children in that environment?"

Will smiled. "I was on a ride along with two lieutenants, not part of my regular duties. I'm being issued with bodyguards as part of my role as Chief of Police. Believe me; I would never put my children in harm's way. They mean everything."

Lloyd smiled, resting her arm on the witness box. "How many women have you slept with since your divorce?"

"Objection!" Jean shouted from her position.

Lloyd turned to the Judge. "I'm trying to see what home life is like for Mr Pope, and whether he regularly brings women home."

The Judge was getting annoyed by the proceedings, but nodded. "You may proceed, but be delicate; Ms Lloyd or I'll stop this whole line of questioning dead."

"Please answer the question, and remember you are under oath. How many women have you slept with since Mrs St James filed for divorce?"

Will groaned, and rested his hand on the witness box. "Two."

"Really? Could you elaborate the time period for this?"

His jaw locked, and Estelle watched him with a smile. "A few months after Estelle filed for divorce I started an affair with an agent from Homeland Security, who has since passed away. It ended not even a year after my divorce was made final. The other woman would be Sharon Raydor, my fiancée; we started dating in August of last year. "

"You mentioned having an affair with the woman from Homeland Security. Was she married?"

"Yes."

It was Lloyd's turn to go in for the kill. "So you were having an affair with a married woman while going through divorce proceedings and custody disputes with your wife. Did these 'meetings' occur in a hotel?"

"Yes."

"Where did you leave the children?"

Will's breath caught. "With a sitter."

Lloyd smiled to the court room. "We've finished with this witness, your Honour."

Pope descended the witness box, and couldn't even look at Sharon as he sat down next to her. The Judge looked over the assembled court room, the sad faces and hollowed out shells of the people deciding to look after two children.

"Let's take a five minute recess, and you can call your next witness councillor."

**10:04 am**

"My next witness is Sharon Raydor, your Honour."

Sharon gripped Will's hand tight as she made her way to the witness box. There was some cheering from the gallery, and the Judge banged his gavel to gain order and quiet in the court room. She looked over from her position and saw Simon, Claudia and Tony smiling at her, giving her all the support she could ever want.

Jean looked at her and smiled. "Ms Raydor, could you tell me how you first met Mr Pope."

Sharon smiled. "I was throwing up at a crime scene, and my superior officer asked him to come in and make sure I was okay."

Will looked at her and smiled, remembering that day. Jean caught her breath and decided to go for a different tactic. "Okay, how did you and Mr Pope start dating?"

Sharon shifted in her seat. "We were at a party that the Chief of the LAPD was throwing to break down divisional barriers. He saved me from a guy who was making fun of me, and we ended up dancing and drinking. We spent the night together, and although we tried to keep it just a friendship, we couldn't keep away from each other."

Jean looked over at Will and shook her head at him. How he had held onto her, she did not know. "How did you first meet Caitlin and Brendan, and Mr Pope's eldest son Tommy?"

"Tommy came into work with Will one day, and he yelled at Brenda Leigh Johnson, one of Will's friends from DC." She didn't miss the smile that crept over Jean and Estelle's face. Brenda scowled. "I took him into my office, tried to see why he was so angry. I told him he needed to grow up, stop blaming people for his problems. We got talking, discovered a mutual love of cars and from then on we were close."

"And Caitlin and Brendan?"

"Will invited me and my family over for Thanksgiving last year, and I met Caitlin and Brendan for the first time then. Brendan was getting picked on at school for standing up for his classmates, so I told him some old FID stories. Caitlin and I talked about Hannah Montana."

Jean smiled and gestured towards Sharon's stomach. "This child is your first, correct?"

"Yes, yes she is."

"Estelle St James and her lawyers are trying to prove that you are a dangerous influence on the children. Could you describe any injuries the children have sustained in your care, and any injuries you have sustained yourself over this year?" Jean asked, not realising how loaded a question that was. Will grimaced, wanting anything to stop her from having to answer that question.

Sharon winced and turned to the Judge. "Do I have to answer that?"

"I'm afraid you do, I'm sorry."

Will looked over at Sharon, and saw the trouble in her face. Everyone in the court room who knew the extent of what she had gone through this year knew this was going to be hard for her. "I…Caitlin and Brendan have never been injured while I've taken care of them."

There was silence, and the Judge turned to her. "Answer the other half of the question, please, Ms Raydor," he warned.

Sharon's eyes closed shut, and opened them again. "I grazed my shoulder badly when I was in a motorcycle accident in January. In February I…February…I was raped and stabbed in the stomach. I was in a brief coma. In July I was hospitalised after I was pushed into a fire extinguisher. In September I sustained bruises to my face, my hips and cuts to my hands after trying to deal with a suspect." She closed her eyes again. "I received bruises to my arms earlier this week after a clash with my ex husband."

There was only one noise in the courtroom after she had finished. Will turned to see Caitlin reaching down to pick up her school bag. She must have skipped school and came to Court to see who would get them. He stood up from the table and went to go see his daughter, who looked very upset. Lloyd was ready to start a cross examination when the Judge shook his head.

"No, no more. I'm tired of this, I've had to endure a week of it and I won't have any more. It seems to me that a pissing contest over two marriages is happening in this court room at the expense of two children. I'll decide tomorrow who keeps the children, but if I didn't think foster care would be a worse environment for them, I wouldn't let either parent take them. Court dismissed."

The Judge moved away from his stand and Caitlin immediately rushed to hug Sharon. She held onto the girl tight. "You should be at school young lady."

"Wanted to see you."

Estelle looked over the table towards her daughter, but she moved around to the other side of Sharon. She kissed her head, wanting to make the girl smile. "Come on; let's get you to school via an ice cream parlour. You guys coming?"

The LAPD officers that had come for a visit joined them in leaving, Caitlin gripping on to Sharon's hand. Will looked at his two ex wives, until Jean offered to take Tommy to college. Will nodded to Estelle as he left to go back to work. One more day, and then it would all be over.

**15:22 am**

**UCLA Campus**

Their morning in Court had gone well; his mother had done them proud and Tommy hoped it would be enough. It felt weird having his mother in town, like the two sides of his life had converged. It was nice to look into the familiar features, hear stories about his siblings from DC. He felt bad to have just abandoned his life in Washington, abandon his family there but he wanted to be around Brendan and Caitlin, watch as they grew up. He also wanted to be there for Andie - he wanted to watch her grow up too.

"Hey kid!"

He had noticed the look on Sharon's face that morning when she had met his mother. He had felt guilty about calling her in to sort out their mess, especially after what Sharon had said about considering him her son. He supposed that was what was bothering him so much - he didn't really know how to define his life or his family anymore. His mother had gone back to rest up, call the kids - they were going to spend the weekend together, which was something he was looking forward to. He missed her.

Something was thrown at his head, and Tommy looked around to see a couple of guys coming across to him. Three girls were with them, the girls were wearing swimsuits. He had gone for a walk through the Frat and Sorority houses, and was in front of a Greek letter house he couldn't identify. Everyone looked really happy, throwing water over each other, ripping shirts off. Had Hanson ever come down here, strolling for victims? Tommy shook the thought, trying not to concentrate on the image.

"It's Pope, right?" one of the guys asked him.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, Tommy Pope."

The guys grinned and the girls moved over, resting their arms over him. Tommy had snuck into the UCLA campus a couple of times to go to frat parties when he was a teenager, spurred on by the local friends he had made. He'd always ended up drunk, sitting in a hot tub with a new friend or three and most likely a joint or two floating around. He let the girls drape themselves over him, but he focussed on the boys. He wouldn't get sucked in, not again.

"Well your holiness, we're having a little shindig on Friday night and we want you to be there. Our own little celebrity, what do you say?" asked the taller one. He was taller than Tommy by a couple of inches but outweighed him in muscle mass. The other, younger guy, smiled at him.

Tommy thought it over. His mother would still be in town, and he didn't feel like going out to a party. He didn't drink anymore, didn't do drugs or have sex. He was trying to live life without abusing it, and his conscience wasn't sure whether a frat party was a good idea. But when he looked into their faces, he saw no malice, saw no ill intent. For the first time since he had started at UCLA, he wasn't hated.

"Yeah, sure, no problem!" Tommy grinned, and the frat boys banged their hands down on his shoulder, making him grimace. "I'll be there, you better believe it."

The boys hollered and started to walk off in the opposite direction, happy with their new guest for the party. Tommy endured a kiss from all the girls before they went off with the boys, no doubt to round up more pledges for their fraternity.

Danny had been right; one of the frat houses was trying to recruit him. He was quite happy where he was, but he was willing to try and fit in if it made life easier. He'd double check with his father before going, and make sure Sharon knew where he was. Probably not a good idea to tell his mother, she would no doubt worry. He wondered if he could call up Alex and Mina, see if they wanted to come and keep him company, keep any unsavoury characters away.

As he looked up into the bowls of the frat house, covered with beer cans and banners, he thought he might need the back up.

**15:34 pm**

**Pacific Alliance Medical Centre**

They were waiting nervously in the hospital room. Will was tapping out a rhythm on the chair rest, and Sharon was stroking her stomach. Will wanted something to bring up their mood, and so they had scheduled a check up to make sure both mother and daughter were doing well. As he looked around the room he could see more happy couples with huge stomachs and bright faces. Sharon was looking puzzled at a pregnancy magazine. Her stomach had rounded quite a bit since she had come back from London, but she was nowhere near as big as some of the other mothers.

"You know she has eyelashes."

"Who? I think most people do."

Sharon rolled her eyes and hit him with the magazine. "Your daughter, silly. This magazine says at seven months she has eyelashes."

Will looked over the magazine Sharon was gripping onto. He hadn't been there for Jean or Estelle when they had been pregnant with Tommy and Brendan; they had to go through their first pregnancy alone. He wasn't going to do the same with Sharon; he was going to be there every step of the way. He looked at where Sharon was pointing.

"She should be about three pounds by now. _Three_, that's tiny. She also has eyebrows," Sharon seemed excited about the prospect that their daughter would have eyebrows. "She feels small."

Will kissed her hair. "She's kicking though, right?"

"Always."

The nurse beckoned them inside and Will rested his hand on the small of Sharon's back. She liked his protective gestures - they were nice without being overbearing. Every time she looked at him she could see the love in his face, the way his smile lit up at the sight of her. She wondered, not for the first time this week, what she would have seen on Sam's face had she told him about their son.

Sharon removed her jacket tenderly as the nurse carried out the ultrasound. She noted the remaining bruises fading on her face, the fresh finger marks on her arms. The ultrasound technician looked at Will and coughed.

"Your fiancée doesn't need to be here, he can wait outside. I think it would be best."

Sharon was about to say something, she knew what the technician was thinking but Will just rested a hand on Sharon's own and left the room without any argument. He went out of the corridor and into the men's bathroom. He rested his head against the wall, banging his fists against the cold tile. He was losing control of everything, couldn't stop Estelle from taking his kids, couldn't stop Sam from going after Sharon. He was helpless, and he hated it.

He eventually removed himself from the bathroom and waited outside for Sharon. She came out eventually, and Will joined her pace. The ultrasound technician followed them with her eyes, but soon they were out into the car park.

"Everything okay?" Will asked as he put the keys in the ignition.

"I'm a little underweight, but nothing a good couple of dinners won't fix. She's kicking; she seems to be developing well." Sharon reached over and hugged Will's arm. "It's okay, Will."

They drove the car in silence for a while as they made their way from the hospital to their house. Tommy was out at college for the afternoon, Jean at the hotel, Caitlin and Brendan at school: they had the place to themselves for a while. They sat in the car, still, for minutes of long silence, until Will covered Sharon's hand with his.

"It's not okay, Sharon. I couldn't protect you from Hanson; I couldn't even protect you from Jimmy. I can't protect you from Sam."

"I don't need protecting, Will, I can take care of myself."

Will glanced over to her, and rested a hand lightly on her stomach. "I want to protect her, I want to protect you. I know you can take care of yourself, and I've always admired your strength, your fire. I love that about you. But I can't lose you, not again. When you told me what Sam did and you said not to do anything, I let that go. But if he hurts you…if he…I spent five months of this year wanting you and grieving for us. If…I couldn't bear losing you."

Will opened his car door and moved around to open Sharon's. They didn't say anything while they moved inside the house. Once the door was shut, Will ran a hand over his head, not sure what to do. Sharon pushed him up against the nearest wall and kissed him as hard as she could. Will lost himself in her.

**19:56 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

Andy was looking at the phone like it was a snake, coiled ready to strike. His day at work had been fairly boring - Brenda was currently working a murder and was coming home late. He had spent his day stamping paperwork, and apart from making sure Sharon was okay in Court, he hadn't done an awful lot.

The house was shaping up to be okay. They'd moved all of his belongings in, and tonight was going to be their first night actually staying in the house. They had a new mattress and a new bed frame put in, and Andy had spent a great deal of time lying on it, looking up at the ceiling and thinking how long he had wanted that. Every time he had been in Brenda's house he had looked at the walls and the furniture and wondered what it would be like to kiss her, to hold her, to live with and love her.

Now he knew, and all he could think about was Fritz's words. That Brenda would never be home, that with his arm and his age he would have what he wanted but hate himself for it. He knew he should be happy that they were together, but there was still a heck of a lot left to do - the divorce, telling Lana. He had tried to call her now they were officially moved in together, but he'd got no response at her home and his sister had said she'd gone on holiday. She'd also chewed him out again, and Flynn didn't need that.

Of course there was one call he wasn't sure whether Brenda or he should make. It was to her parents. While he knew that Willie Rae wouldn't be surprised about his love for their daughter and no doubt would be happy that they were together, Clay was a different matter. He'd always seemed happy with his son in law, and he may not be thrilled that his daughter was dating a man that was only fourteen years younger than her father.

He didn't think he had the right to do it, so he just went and switched on the television. He texted Simon and Claudia for most of the time during the DIY program he was watching, discussing them all planning a baby shower for Sharon. It was when they had got onto the subject of whether to take Sharon to a baseball game to celebrate Andie's impending birth did the door open and Brenda come in.

"I'm home!"

Brenda came through the door carrying a pizza box and immediately kissed Flynn. She seemed so bright, so happy. "Good case?"

"Really good - some Hollywood extra got murdered and we arrested the director who was selling roles for sex," Brenda got two plates from the kitchen and a bottle of ketchup. She also brought out a bottle of Merlot. "Do you mind, Andy?"

"No, its fine," Andy rested his hand on his leg, clutching it tight. He wanted a drink, he wanted to go to a meeting, he wanted to be on a damn murder case. He liked the rush of catching a suspect, the thrill and chase of interviewing, the justice flowing through his veins when there was an arrest. He missed all that; he missed Brenda being his Chief. He was in recovery from a lot of things, and he wanted a quick fix.

"I missed you today, at work." Brenda rested her head on his chest. "I miss you, Andy, by my side. Think you can get a transfer back over? I want you working with me, we make an amazing team."

"I don't think they'll let us work together while we're dating."

Brenda nodded and hugged him. Andy couldn't deny that he was happy that she was as unhappy about the situation as he was. She put the Merlot back in the cupboard and brought out two glasses of cranberry juice. She snuggled closer to him, and Andy realised that her touch was having the same calming effect that a glass of whiskey would do. They clinked glasses with a smile while Brenda changed the channel to some old black and white film.

"I love this - I love these old romances. The woman finding love with a handsome guy who is always older than her, swept off her feet," Brenda whispered, and Andy put his good arm around her shoulders.

"The old ones are always the best. You know I've got some old Marlowe movies somewhere, want to put one on next?"

Brenda chuckled and pushed the hair off of her face. "A handsome detective seduced by a dangerous woman…plus a murder, why wouldn't I want to? Put it on now."

Andy went to go get a film, and Brenda got ready with the pizza. Half the topping was mushrooms for Andy, half of it was pepperoni for her. When he sat down with the DVD he passed her a glass of Merlot and she smiled.

"Oh, before you put the film on, I've got to make a call. I want to do it soon before things just swamp us and they'll be over here at Christmas wondering what's going on."

He watched as she reached over and grabbed the cordless phone that was by the sofa. Andy pressed pause on the DVD and ate a slice while trying not to eavesdrop on her conversation. He moved to the kitchen and started unpacking a few of his things from storage, some Dodgers mugs he had, some cooking utensils he was fond of.

"Daddy? Hi, it's Brenda. How are you?"

Andy stopped unpacking, and looked out of the kitchen to see his girlfriend on the phone to her father. She smiled at him. "Yes, Daddy, I'm fine. I wanted to tell you that me and Fritz are getting a divorce. We just…grew apart. I'm sorry Daddy, I'm really sorry."

He didn't hear the rest of the conversation, just moved into the kitchen and made Brenda a cup of coffee with extra syrup. When he came into the living room she was smiling. She grinned when he passed her the cup. "My father wants to talk to you."

Andy took the phone carefully, not sure whether he was going to be yelled and reamed out by the older man. "Mr Johnson?"

"_That bookcase is good, son. Strong wood, keeps the books on the level and safe from being tripped over. You get what I'm saying, son?" _

"That you want me to build you a bedside table set when my arm is feeling better?" Andy joked, Brenda winced. But even she could hear the laughter on the other end of the phone from her father.

"_That's it exactly, son."_

Once Brenda had recovered from the phone call, they put on the old film and settled down to watch it, finally feeling like they were home.

**20:02 pm**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Tommy was outside in the garden throwing a baseball up in the air. It was from a game that he and his Dad had gone to over the summer; it had been a lot of fun. He tossed it up and down again, looking towards the house behind him. He had heard Sharon and his father talk that morning, and moving did seem like a good idea. A fresh start for all of them.

"Hey you."

Tommy finished catching the ball and turned to see his mother coming in through the doors. "Surprised Dad let you back in the house."

Jean Denny smiled. "It's ex wife number two that your father has a problem with right now, not ex wife number one. Hey, come and sit and talk for a while, kiddo."

He knew his mother and knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. She wanted him to sit, so he did on one of the garden loungers they had. She looked over him with this look of wonder and sadness, and Tommy hated seeing that on her.

His mother reached over and stroked his face. "You know I am so proud of you. For doing all this, for surviving all this. You were always my son and I loved you, but sometimes you worried me. I could see you going down a dark path and I didn't like it."

"Yeah, well, Mom, I'm feeling much better since February." Tommy looked up into her face. "Before February, you mean. You're right, I've changed a lot. And I'm happy about those changes." Tommy laughed, reaching out for his mother's hand. "There's this girl I like. She's not even eighteen yet so it's a bit dubious but I really like her. She's funny and she's smart and she makes me feel good about myself."

Jean smiled at her son, happy for him. He had always taken after his father in regard of his choice of girls, popular blonde ones who had no real substance to them. She knew he had been worse when he had come to LA, and Jean was under no illusions that his son had taken after his father in the years that she had known and been married to him. But, now, while Will had become a brilliant father and a wonderful man, it seemed like Tommy was following suit.

"Who is she? A girl from school?"

Tommy's jaw locked as he thought about Sarah, and about the few girls he had met over the summer. "No. Mom, don't get upset, but…its Chief Johnson's niece, Charlie."

He laughed as he watched his mother's face curl in on itself. "What is it with Pope boys and Johnson girls, hmm?"

They laughed and Tommy smiled at his mother. "Apparently she went through a rebirth like I did. She completely changed while she was here, for the better. I really like her Mom. She's hoping to come down to UCLA for next year, so we'll see what happens."

They moved off the subject of Tommy for a while, discussed how his siblings were getting on, how they were doing at school. He brought up the subject of Steve, and his mother said about them trying to make a go for it, despite her cheating.

"I know he left me for that redheaded hussy, but I wonder sometimes what our life would have been like had he stayed. Still…he never looked at me the way he looks at Sharon," Jean admitted, a little sad. "You promise to visit, won't you? I miss you, Tommy, I really do. It's good that you've got a life out here and a life with your family. Just don't forget the other half of it."

Tommy reached over and hugged his mother, gripping onto her. "Never! Tell you what, next summer I'll come down for the whole three months."

"You going to come to DC for the summer when you can be in LA?" Jean shook her head "Come for Thanksgiving, it'll be nice to see you, honey. But for Christmas I think you should stay here, after all it'll be your baby sister's first Christmas."

The house doors opened and Will came out with two glasses of lemonade. Jean smiled at her ex husband and watched as Tommy deferred to his father. She had been hoping that their relationship would grow, and it had. She laughed softly before turning to Will. He was still handsome, still made her knees like jelly. She only wished she had met him later, when he had become the man he was now, when he was out of his own father's shadow.

"Take care of him."

Will smiled at her, resting a hand atop his son's shoulder. "Always."

**22:15 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

There was a knock on the door, and Andy got up from his position on the sofa to answer it. Brenda had fallen asleep during the second half of the Marlowe film, and he had just sat there, torn between watching the hardboiled detective and the woman he loved looking so beautiful. He opened the door, and was surprised to see Will and Sharon standing on the doorstep.

"Hey kids, little early for trick or treating."

Will grinned and passed over a basket of goodies. Andy could see a bottle of Merlot, plenty of chocolate and a pair of Dodgers tickets for a game next weekend. "What's this for?"

Sharon grinned. "Well it just struck me that you've just moved in together and as pretty much everyone's been here before, you need something to celebrate. So here it is. Plus we wanted to thank you for being there for us today, meant a lot." She smiled, and Will put an arm around her. "I've been feeling a little restless, and Will suggested going for a walk so this is where we've ended up. Will made me get the Dodgers tickets."

Andy laughed and invited them inside. Brenda had woken up by that point and was taking the DVD out of the player when they came in. "Sharon and Will brought us wine, tickets and ding dongs."

Brenda gave both of them a hug, and the four of them ended up at the dining room table. Will and Brenda both had a glass of the Merlot, while Andy and Sharon had water. They were discussing old times, old memories in DC and fresh cases in LA.

"So, have you decided who is going to be the new Assistant Chief, Will?" Brenda asked, pouring herself a little more wine. Andy was rummaging through the basket until he came across a packet of salted nuts. Brenda couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"No, not yet. I asked Stephen and he turned me down flat," he replied, and Sharon sighed. "I had an old friend of yours come in asking about the job though, Wes Carpenter?"

Brenda nearly choked on the gulp of wine she was taking. "Wes Carpenter?" Upon Andy and Sharon's quizzical looks, she decided to explain. "An old friend of mine at Homeland Security. He's a good guy, a little screwed up since his wife and kids were murdered but I think that does that to you."

Will nodded, and the conversation stopped. It was then that Will noticed how late it was getting; they must have been talking for a couple of hours. "Well I have a custody hearing to go to tomorrow morning, so we will see you both at work tomorrow!" Will announced. He had enjoyed spending time with the two of them. There had been no chance of ever hanging out with Brenda and Fritz, and he had missed just socialising with Brenda. Once everything had calmed down they could spend some more time together, after all Sharon and he had decided that the pair of them would be Andie's godparents.

"See you tomorrow you two, sleep well."

Brenda kissed Will on the cheek at the door, and hugged the brunette awkwardly. Andy waved goodbye, holding onto Brenda as the two continued their walk back to their place. They held hands as they strolled down the emptying streets of Los Angeles. As Will's hand trembled within her own, Sharon realised that maybe he needed the walk more than her.

Tomorrow was going to change everything.

**Friday 17****th**** September 2010**

**7:18 am**

**Santa Monica State Beach**

Will had taken a walk along the beach front. He had left Sharon sleeping in their bed, after yesterday he felt she deserved a rest. He wondered if by the time the sun set on today, he would have lost both his children. He sat down on a bench, looking out onto the ocean. He and Estelle had come down there with the kids several times, a happy family unit.

"Looks like you had the same idea I did."

He looked up to see Estelle coming towards him. She sat on the bench with him, staring at half forgotten memories. Caitlin had been taught to swim in the ocean by Will on extremely calm days. Brendan had lost his shoes one day when his father had picked them up early from school. There were so many memories, he didn't want to see them all ruined.

"I miss them, you know. I'm trying to do what's right for us. I'm trying to make amends to them, Will."

He nodded. "You're going the wrong way about it, Estelle. The kids like being with us. I know you hate it, but it's the truth. They like living with me and Sharon and being with their older brother. I've been a cop their entire lives; they've been in and out of Parker Centre. Los Angeles is a dangerous city, life is dangerous. You can't keep them from it all; you just have to protect them as best as you can."

Estelle agreed and turned to Will. She slapped him in the face. "Ow. What the hell was that for?"

"You were seeing someone while we were getting divorced. Were you fucking her while we were married?"

Will snorted and stood up, trying to control his anger. "You cheated on me. You left our home and our kids, and now you're trying to blame this all on me? Yes I worked long hours; yes I may have been tempted by other women. But I swear to you on our children's lives that I never cheated on you. I loved you; I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I started dating Maggie after you left because I felt worthless and alone - you happy now?"

It seemed like Estelle needed to hear that. She stood up and held out her hand for him to shake. "The offer you made when we talked before, I'd like to take that, if that's okay. Every other weekend, and Wednesday nights?"

Will realised what had happened. Estelle had seen Caitlin the day before run into Sharon's arms and realised she had no hope of the same without baby steps. He crossed his arms and snarled. "You put my son through a psychiatric evaluation, ruining what little self esteem he'd been able to get back this summer. Your lawyer tries to make out I'm a bad father, choosing women over my kids when all I've done is take care of them."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I was desperate, Will," Estelle admitted, looking ashamed.

"You can get them the second weekend of every month, and if they want to see you another weekend during the month then that is _their _choice. No days during the week until they are _happy _spending time with you and they come to me wanting to spend more time with you. If it was up to me you'd never see them again, but Jean gave me the chance to be a part of Tommy's life, and I'm giving the same to you. Use it wisely, or I'll take it away."

"Thank you, Will."

They shook hands, Will almost regretting his next words but realising he wanted to heal his family. "Talk to the Judge and sort things out, I'll get a written agreement of custody to you by the end of the day. You can take them out for dinner tonight, if you want, just to talk to them. If you take them, I will track you down and you will never see them again."

"I know. Thank you, Will."

They said their goodbyes, and Will walked back to his car with a spring in his step. He knew he should make Estelle suffer for abandoning their kids, but he needed to give her a chance. It could lead to amazing things. When he got home the first thing he did was pick Sharon up and swing her around before kissing her as hard as he could.

His family were going to be okay.

**10:35 am**

**New LAPD Headquarters**

Stephen was looking at the memorial wall when Sharon came to find him. She was grinning like a crazy person, and for the first time he could really see her glow. He gave her a hug and offered her the seat next to him, wondering why she was so happy.

"Estelle and Will settled out of Court. We've got the kids; she gets to see them occasionally but not all the time…" Sharon grinned as she rested her head on Stephen's shoulder. "Finally, it's all going to be okay. Just got to make sure she's happy, and we're all good." She stroked her stomach.

"That's great, Sharon, it really is." Stephen smiled at her.

He had known her for years ever since she had come to the LAPD, had seen her work and knew a rough outline of her past. He had been one of the few officers Wendell had trusted to help him in getting her out of her marriage. Ever since Sharon had punched out another officer who had bruised a young woman during an arrest she was later proved innocent for, he knew she would take over Internal Affairs.

"Will told me he offered you the Assistant Chief job and you refused. Why, Stephen? You'd be an amazing Chief of Operations."

Stephen nodded, smiling. "I need to wrap up one last Internal Affairs investigation, I'm seeing a witness tonight and then I'm writing up my report this weekend. By Monday morning it will all be over, and I'm going to go into Will's office and tell him that I'm taking the job, if he hasn't found anyone by then."

"The next head of Internal Affairs could take it over; they'll be fine doing it. Tell him today that you're taking the job, Stephen. Tell him today."

He grinned and hugged the woman closer. "You know what? I may just do that. Of course I need to pick a new head of Internal Affairs. I'm toying with the idea of someone from inside rather than hiring outside."

"I think you should pick Ian. He'd make a great Deputy Chief, he knows everyone well. See, it's all ready to go. Just sign the paperwork."

Stephen stood up and looked at the pictures of the dead police officers along the wall. He stood there in silence, and Sharon wondered that she had said something to upset him until he spoke again. "You know how many times I've wondered if you or Ian or Eddie or even Michael will end up on this wall?"

Sharon shook her head, not wanting to know the answer. "All the time, every case you go on I wonder. People don't think I worry, we're only Internal Affairs. Pencil pushers. We uphold the law, we watch the watchmen. The people we hunt know how to kill, they carry guns. They have a million supporters behind the blue line. And you four, you are so reckless. Eddie barely goes out with a vest anymore; you keep running into dangerous situations. Ian is in hospital every other week with a motocross accident, and Michael doesn't know how to watch his mouth."

"We could be more careful, I can be more careful."

He turned around to face her, smiling at her gently. "You could be, but you wouldn't be you. The reason all four of you are here is because you protect people, people who can't protect themselves because the person behind their pain has so much power. It's going to be a pain to leave you, but you need to grow. I want you as the head of Internal Affairs, Sharon."

She shook her head, shocked by his offer. "I'm happy in FID. I still have work there."

"Sometimes you need to stop trying to atone, or to make amends and realise that your work is done, Sharon. We protect the people of Los Angeles; I have protected them for five years. Now it's your turn. You need to step up and stop trying to make right your father's death. It's righted, it's over. He would be so proud of you, and his granddaughter."

He left Sharon with tears falling down her cheeks.

**12:45pm**

**Sandwich Shop**

She was running out to get lunch. Will was in meetings all day, and Flynn and the others were finally out on a new case. An officer from the Gang Unit had shot a suspect, and they needed to evaluate whether it was a clean hit or not. Flynn looked excited to be going out on his first case, and Sharon had given Tony permission to teach him and run him through the procedure. She needed to be by herself for a few hours, and tomorrow she would evaluate the boys and see which one would be taking over as head of FID.

She had been offered the head of Internal Affairs, Sharon couldn't believe it. She would be a Deputy Chief, the same ranking as Scarlett O'Hara! She should really be nice to Brenda now, she had been helpful and sweet when she had been in trouble and as long as she kept her hands on Flynn and away from Will then she could keep them. She'd have a bigger office, maybe somewhere where she could put a play mat for when Andie was bigger. She hadn't seen the whole of the new IA block, but she knew there was a huge conference room. There was also a bigger pay packet.

"Could I have a huge turkey sub please, three packets of crisps, a really big coke drink and about four cookies, thank you," Sharon asked the clerk. She was starving, she hadn't eaten breakfast, and the nurse from yesterday had scared her.

Although pregnancy weight when carrying girls usually went all around rather than created a huge bump, Sharon was underweight. Very underweight. Things had been so tense the last few months with going back, and Hanson and Sam and custody hearings, so she hadn't been eating properly. Willie Rae had tried getting her to eat healthier, but once she had moved out that had stopped. She knew she should eat better, but it was the last thing on her mind. Taking all her heaps of food, she left the sandwich shop.

"Hey, Sharon."

She looked around to be confronted by Ricky Luca. She had known him since she was a teenager; he had been one of Sam's friends. In fact, once he had got set up in LA with her, Ricky and a couple of others had come down to join them. She hadn't seen him for years, not since she had divorced Sam and moved on with her life.

"Ricky." The LAPD building was only across the street, she could probably make a run for it if she felt like her life was in danger. But she knew she needed to tough this out, she couldn't retreat whenever she felt threatened.

He grinned. "You look good, Sharon. Little rounder, but I hear your policeman boyfriend got you pregnant. You wouldn't happen to know where Sam is, would you."

She shook her head.

"Really? Because the last any of us saw him he was following you across the hotel, and then nothing. Haven't seen him since Tuesday, and we're getting kinda worried about him."

"It's only Friday, maybe he went to Vegas for the week."

Sharon turned to leave, not wanting to continue on the conversation anymore. Ricky pulled her against the wall and pressed the end of his gun into her stomach. She grimaced at the pain, shaking with fear. "What did you do to him, huh? Did your policeman boyfriend shoot him in the head, cause that's murder, even if he is the Chief of fucking Police."

Sharon's mouth grew dry; all she could think about was her daughter. Suddenly there was a clicking sound, and Ricky turned around to come face to face with another gun. "You're going to come with me, son, or I'm going to tell your mommy about how you tried to scare a pregnant woman and how I put a bullet in your brain."

Ricky was pulled off Sharon, and she started to gasp for air. She felt for her daughter, and started to cry at feeling her move against her hand. The man who had helped her didn't look familiar, and he borrowed Sharon's handcuffs and put them on Ricky as he marched both of them over to the new LAPD building.

"He was trying to threaten a pregnant woman, so book him and talk to Deputy Chief Johnson, alright?" the man told the officers at the door as they lead Ricky, shouting obscenities, down to the bowels of the building. The man passed Sharon a paper cup of water that one of the secretaries gave him. "You trying to get yourself killed?"

"Wasn't my fault. Thank you, though."

The man smiled and patted her shoulder. "No problem sweetheart, always a sucker for a pretty girl."

"Sharon?"

Both of them turned to the voice by the elevator and watched as Will Pope and Brenda Leigh Johnson came off of it. Will ran to Sharon and held her close, burying his hands in her hair. "What happened?"

"One of Sam's guys came after me, Sam is MIA. This officer arrested him."

Will turned and smiled at the man, recognising him. "Wes Carpenter, good to see you again. Thank you for your help, I mean that. Babe, let's go up to my office and get some lunch. I need to call the gang unit and talk to them about this, see what they've got on Broker's gang of thugs."

Will and Sharon went back on the elevator, Sharon shivering and Will's fists clenching. Wes waved them away until his tie was grabbed by Brenda and dragged off into a corner of the LAPD foyer. She pushed him against the wall, fury ripping apart her face. Ever since Will had mentioned him last night she knew he would come sniffing around again. Her instincts were right.

"What the hell is your problem, Wes? Why the hell are you here?"

Wes laughed at the angry southern accent coming through and pushed Brenda back. "It's not all about you, darling. The world doesn't revolve around Brenda Leigh Johnson. You seem to be getting on great here, Andrew talks highly about Pope and I thought I might as well try it out for size."

Brenda scoffed, shaking her head at him. "This isn't about Will or the LAPD. No one's seen you for years and you suddenly swan in here, saving the Chief's fiancée? You still after Anton for murdering your wife?"

Wes pushed up into Brenda's face and she pushed right back. Wes didn't intimidate her, never had. They were the two best interrogators the CIA had ever trained, and both had left for different reasons. "Last time I checked, love, he was after you as well. But I guess it was more his wife who wanted to slash your throat then he did. Always told you that your mouth had a better use."

Brenda went for him again, but Wes pushed her onto the stairwell. He shook his head and leant against the wall. "He's dead, anyway. Got killed by a terrorist cell last year. I'm here, Brenda, because I need to get out of DC, and half way across the country seemed a good place to go. I haven't been able to track down whoever killed my family, who actually pulled the trigger rather than just sat there and watched." He snarled at her and she had the good decency to look away. "I don't have a life, Brenda; I'm a former CIA agent who's been grieving for fifteen years. I just need to start to live."

She nodded, and her face grew clouded "No one knows that I was an agent, Wes. They know I was trained by the CIA, but as far as being an agent for seven years goes? You can't tell anyone that, Will knows some basics but he doesn't know all we did."

"My wife didn't either, and look where that got her."

She wiped her hands over her face and stood up away from Wes. "I'm happy, Wes, with a boyfriend who I really love and a job that I can do better than anyone else. Please don't wreck it for me"

"Been following your career, notice a little of that vigilante streak's still in you, Brenda. That was always your issue, trying to get justice. How many did you send back in there, knowing they would be killed?"

"How many did they kill in the first place?" Brenda asked. "I want justice for the people who no one cares about, Wes. It's why I'm here. I don't care if you get it; I don't care if you go to the LA Times and tell them how many people I shot, there have been crazier stories in this town. So whatever you're here for, just leave already."

Brenda walked away from Wes, but his voice carried back to her. "You never had to shoot anyone, did you Brenda? Couple of words, couple of hours with you interrogating them and they would break in half." His footsteps echoed and they crossed paths again. "You used to be obsessed by the big picture, and I'm glad you finally decided to concentrate on the small one. Like my wife, a small picture that no one seems to care about. See you around, Brenda."

She hissed as he walked off in the distance, and Brenda wondered if she should tell Will what was going on. But she decided to leave it for another day, and concentrate on the murder she could solve.

**17:56 pm**

**New LAPD Headquarters**

He had the files in his pocket, the confession from Webster on tape. He was heading over to see Brody, to confront him with the evidence. The little bastard would no doubt try and deny it, but then would break down and he could arrest him there and then. When Sharon and her team came in for their second part of their seventy two hour deadline, he could tell her in no uncertain terms that Brody was behind bars for all that he had done.

It was quite an extensive list too. Stephen had found evidence of selling drugs out of the evidence lockers to gang members, signing off on issues of officer involved violence that FID wasn't notified about. Then there was Sharon, who no doubt worried him. One bad move, and she would have his job as well as his balls in the palm of her hand. Brody had manipulated Webster for his own ends, but his time was running out.

"Hey, Chief, you heading out?" Ian asked as he passed over the last of the paperwork. It was only FID who would be working a little later than usual, but it seemed a clean hit so they wouldn't be working into the night.

"Yeah, need to see someone about this case I'm investigating. I'll see you Monday, Ian, have a good weekend."

"Will do, boss. Hey, Flynn was mentioning about us all going to a baseball game or something as a baby shower for Sharon? I mean she won't want a bunch of girls and finger sandwiches while discussing Real Housewives of Orange County." Stephen looked at him oddly for a moment before Ian shrugged. "My ex girlfriend used to watch it. Bored the shit out of me. But I'm serious, it would be fun. Plus we could welcome Flynn to the team that way."

Stephen grinned. "We'll see, Ian. We may be getting some changes come through in the next few weeks, but we'll do something to celebrate, I'm sure."

"You finally leaving us?" Eddie asked as he entered the doorway. Michael was also coming through with some paperwork, interested in the conversation they were having. Eddie started to cheer. "Three stars! Three stars! Three stars! Inflict your ass on the rest of the LAPD! Who's taking over? Me?"

"No one wants you to be in charge."

"A monkey would be better in charge," Michael shot back, and the two men squared off against each other until Ian broke it up.

Stephen realised maybe he wanted to leave, the four of them were like siblings and got into regular fights. Of course the four of them were very unique. Michael, head of Administration Investigation, had had his sister killed by a dirty cop from Chicago. He'd left for LA soon after. Eddie had been in the army, and had seen enough trauma to serve him a lifetime. Ian had worked with Sharon for decades, and had only joined the police force after he had been stabbed and two off duty officers had done nothing. Sharon was there to stop officers taking their lives when they didn't need to. They all wanted to make the world and the LAPD a better place.

"I haven't decided if I get the Assistant Chief position who will take over."

"Better be Sharon," Ian teased. "She's the only one of us who can work a stapler."

"Or turn a computer on," Michael joked, turning to Eddie.

Stephen shook his head and shooed them all away. "Go, enjoy your weekend. I'll see you all Monday."

Once finished packing up, he walked down the corridor, smiling at Sharon who was also leaving. "Deputy Chief Raydor, walk you to your car?"

She flipped him the finger, but he walked her down to where Will was parked. It had a nice ring to it, the new rank, and if everything went well tonight, then Internal Affairs and Sharon Raydor could finally recognise their full potential.

**21:06pm**

**Sigma Theta Pia Fraternity Housing**

Alex couldn't make it; he had a date of his own to go to. Mina had wanted to come, but Otto had put his foot down and said that she wasn't allowed out to any frat parties. Over the phone, Tommy heard her distinctly threaten her grandfather not to race anymore, but Tommy agreed that maybe it was a bad idea if she went. He didn't want to be on the wrong end of Sharon Raydor if he got her goddaughter into any trouble. So he had asked Danny to come with him to ward off any trouble, and the two boys had ended up in the Frat party sometime after nine.

It was already going strong; there were plenty of people who were already enjoying themselves. There was plenty of drink, plenty of scantily clad girls. Tommy could see a small corner where a dealer stood, handing out his stash for a considerable fee. There were couples making out everywhere, and a DJ pumped out loud music.

"This all you thought it would be?" Danny joked as they moved into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Who says this is my first frat party?" Tommy asked as he looked at the contents of the kitchen table. There was tons of beer, shooters and mixers, but nothing non alcoholic from what he could see. There were plastic cups, so he got one and moved over to the tap.

Danny laughed as he watched Tommy drink water. "You know, you're not what I imagined. I thought you'd be waiting to kick loose, just enjoy yourself."

"Been enjoying myself this way for years, it's not worth it. I prefer to ride, to be with friends. Hell, this weekend I'm going along on my first FID case."

Danny grinned at the enthusiasm in Tommy's face, but it lessened when he caught someone going down into the frat house basement. He recognised the face before it disappeared and it looked like Jacob Weaver. He was with an entirely different, rival fraternity and Danny had no idea why he would be there in the first place. Shaking his head, he turned back to Tommy who was bobbing his head to the music.

One of the girls from earlier came into the kitchen and put her arms around Tommy. "Hey, you. What you drinking there?"

"Vodka, straight up," Tommy lied, knowing if people knew he was sipping on water he would never live it down, nor be invited back again. Or, he would be first to down an entire beer keg.

The girl ran her hands down Tommy's arms. "That's so hard core. You want to dance?"

"No thanks, sweetheart. I'd rather dance with someone pretty," Tommy threw out, and the girl gasped and flounced away, but turned back and winked at him. Tommy picked a toothpick up from the table and stuck it in his mouth. He could see why Flynn did it; it certainly made him look cool.

Danny just shook his head and turned to his young friend. "She's a cheerleader, boy, and a hot one at that! You are one strange cookie."

Tommy grinned. "There's a girl I like, but she's in Atlanta. It's not set in stone, yet, but I'd rather wait and date her than get something resembling instant gratification with one of the Bruins sluttiest."

The two boy's clinked glasses of water together and watched as the party went around them. Girls and boys of various ages came in and out of the kitchen to get drink, to get food or pick up a condom or two from the big bowl in the table, part of the fraternity's desire to promote safe sex. Tommy was using his phone to text Charlie little anecdotes from the party he knew she'd find funny, and Danny just smiled, glad to see his new friend so happy.

**23:57 pm**

It was getting close to midnight, and Danny reached for Tommy's wrist. He was going to take him out of the frat house before things got too dangerous, he had seen Jacob twice again and wanted to keep Tommy safe and out of harm's way. His only enjoyment had been texting Charlie so when he suggested going out for more beer with a wink, they had decided to go.

"Hey, you going your holiness?" asked one of the frat boys from earlier. A group of them gathered around by the door where Tommy and Danny were about to leave. They produced a circle around them, stopping them from getting to the door.

Tommy turned around to the guy standing between him and freedom. "Let me out."

"Not today."

He turned around to see Jacob Weaver, who punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Some of the football players held Danny back as Jacob kicked a rib out of joint. "Bring him downstairs," Jacob cheered, and the group gathered Tommy and Danny and took them down to the basement. No one thought any wiser, and continued on partying.

One of the frat boys locked the basement door behind them as Tommy was dragged down. He was thrown onto the floor, Danny still being held back. Jacob got into his face, trying to taunt Tommy's protector. "Eddie Hanson killed your sister as well as mine, he's the reason, _he is_. Hanson wanted him; he's the reason why Keighley is dead, and why you don't have a sister anymore."

Danny looked at Tommy on the floor, and then turned to the set up that Jacob had created. "What do you think you're doing, you psychopath!"

All of Jacob's friends and the boys from the fraternity were down there watching. Even some of the girls from earlier were there, some he had talked to. All of them blamed him for the girls' deaths; and they wanted to prove it. Two of the frat boys hoisted Tommy off of the floor and he caught sight of what they had done.

Lying on a decorating table, wearing nothing but her underwear, was Mina. She had come to the party after all, and Jacob must have caught up with her. There was no recognition in her eyes when Tommy looked at her: they had drugged her.

"What did you do?" Tommy asked Jacob, worried for his friend.

"Used the same drugs Hanson used to subdue my sister. We sprayed her down with a hose but didn't take her underwear off, we're not that freaky. You can, if you want." Jacob reached over and pressed a knife into Tommy's hand. He looked at the blade, at how thin it was. It was a replica of the one Hanson had used to kill so many people. Jacob whispered in his ear. "Come on, Tommy. You know this; you can feel it rushing in your blood. You want to do this, you want to try it out and see what it feels like. Hanson saw you as his protégé, live up to his legacy."

Jacob pushed him away so he knocked into the decorating table. He looked at Mina lying there; barely aware of what was going on. The blade felt so light in his hand, and he'd often wondered what it would be like to slit his own wrists, take an overdose of pills. Before dragging his car onto the tracks he had gone through so many methods of how he could kill himself. He had never thought about hurting others.

"Tommy…" Danny whispered softly.

"Come on, kid. Make Hadley proud."

Tommy looked at the knife in his hand, and then at Mina. The blood was pushing through his veins; he was getting such an adrenaline kick, bigger than anything that riding or sex had given him. Had this been what Hadley had felt? Had this been what had made him so happy over the years? Jacob smiled as he watched Tommy grow closer to the table.

**21:15pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

Andy was dancing around the kitchen, a very happy man. He had been on his first case today, and was getting some energy back into his blood. He turned to Brenda as she cooked dinner, watching as she looked confused. They were making a pasta dish, fairly simple but Brenda had a tendency to make things rock hard or too chewy, so Flynn was teaching her a few new things.

Deciding for a new tactic in teaching, Brenda sighed as his lips found her neck, caressing with her mouth. He could do things to her no man could, the sound of his voice just made her go weak at the knees and the fact that he knew where she wanted to be touched only heightened her arousal. He understood her so well, it made her heart leap.

They became lost in each other, and it was only when the pasta started to boil that Andy realised the temperature in the room had sky rocketed. He turned the pasta off, stirred the sauce and left Brenda to dish up dinner. They were eating at the table today, and Brenda had opted out of her glass of merlot to drink cranberry juice and soda with Andy. She liked the taste, but more so when it was on Andy's tongue.

"So, how's your case?" Brenda asked.

Andy nodded. "It's certainly different than what we do. Jeez, I knew FID got abuse but today was pretty heavy. Anyway, the guy's shot was a clean hit, we know that, so it's just ticking off all the paperwork. I'll have to go in tomorrow, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, maybe I'll come with you and you can help me with my investigation?"

He looked interested as he snagged a bread roll. "What investigation is this? You didn't mention anything before?"

"Well, technically it's really an IA investigation; it's about a missing pair of underwear. Although I think I've got my suspect right…where…I want him." Andy shifted in his seat as Brenda massaged his crotch. He moaned with pleasure as she found the spot he liked. "I'm good at interrogation."

"That you are."

"Want me to tie you up?" Brenda's smile faltered as she realised that not long ago he had been and had sustained the injuries he was still plagued from. The talk of interrogation, while initially fun, had turned sour and she kept flashing back to her discussion with Wes earlier that day. She ate a few mouthfuls of pasta, and it wasn't until she felt familiar hands crawling up her leg that she realised Andy wasn't mad.

"How about we get these dishes cleaned up, we unpack the last of the boxes and then we can go celebrate our moving in in bed?"

Brenda giggled. "You're on, Captain, you're on."

The two of them ate as quickly as they could, barely tasting the meal. Brenda washed up while Andy dried, sorting out the dishes that they now shared. It would be their first weekend together in their first place together…there was no hesitation, no doubt in her mind. She wanted to spend her life with Flynn, and she wanted to do it now. Tired of waiting, tired of debating. He was what she wanted, and no one was going to take him from her.

**22:45 pm**

They'd washed the dishes, and were now unpacking the last of Andy's stuff. Clothes, a few books he had. Brenda was humming with anticipation; she was looking forward to being in their bed again, just being with Andy. There was a knock on the door, and Brenda left Andy unpacking the last two boxes to go and answer it.

She opened the door and looked up to find Lana standing on the doorway. "Lana." Her face fell, worried. "Can I help you?"

Brenda didn't find out what Lana wanted as she struck her in the face, knocking the blonde out and down to the floor. She moved Brenda inside the door and locked it behind her. The blonde was collapsed on the floor, blood pooling at her temple.

"Brenda? Who's at the door?"

Time to say hello to Andy.

**23:16 pm**

"Brenda. BRENDA!"

She stirred, not sure what was going on. Had she fallen asleep on the sofa again? She was so tired of late; the stress of everything had hit her in some bizarre form of narcolepsy. Oh god, had she fallen asleep during sex? Her eyes blinked harshly against the warm lighting of her bedroom, where she was pressed up against a wall.

"Andy?" she said groggily, looking up not into his face but into Lana's. Pain shot through her as she remembered being smacked in the head by Lana, collapsing to the floor. She turned her head to the right and saw that Andy was tied up next to her, his bandaged arm coiled behind his back. The agony in his face was unbearable.

"Hello Brenda, so nice to see you again."

Brenda didn't say anything, but Andy was not so quiet. "Lana, what do you want?"

She moved over to Andy, smiling at him. "I want you, silly. But I can't have you, because she does. She's always had you." She ran a hand down herself. "Look at me; I'm just a carbon copy. Not even the real thing, am I? Was that why you slept with me, Andy, because you wanted her? Is that it?"

Andy looked under hooded lids, anger pulsing through his veins. He should be able to subdue her, but with his arm he was useless. Lies wouldn't save him. "Yes. I want her, you were just a substitute."

"Lie to her for god's sake, Andy, don't tell her the truth," Brenda grimaced through the pain. "What do you want, Lana? You want to punish me for stealing your boyfriend, go ahead. Just leave Andy out of it, he's been through enough this year."

Lana reached over and pressed her fingers to the wound on Brenda's head, causing her to cry out. She smacked the blonde detective on the cheek. "I don't take orders from you, sweetie."

She left the room, taking with her two gas bottles that had been by the bed. Lana returned briefly and put gags around Brenda and Andy to stop them screaming. Brenda tried hard to make noise as they heard the sloshing sound of gasoline hitting the floor. She kept trying to break out of her bindings, and Andy tried as well. They were handcuffs, done so tight they were digging into their skin. They were their own.

When Lana had finished, she came back in and sat in front of Andy. She pulled the gag down, looked at him. "You know, if you had just _called _instead of cheating on me with _her, _then we wouldn't be at this point. But no, you sent me away so you could fuck her in secret, didn't even call me when you were hurt. Makes me feel worthless, more than looking at her does!"

"Lana, we can talk about this. Okay, I'm sorry I cheated on you, I'm sorry I used you. But you know I'm a good guy. Haven't you ever felt so in love you'd do anything?"

"Yes." She kissed Andy, her lips placed firmly on his. "And I will."

Lana grabbed the remaining can of gasoline and picked it up. She drained the contents over Brenda's head while the blonde screamed against her gag, trying desperately to wriggle out of her bonds. Lana made sure every drop was poured out over her head, the gas making her hair stick to her face. Her tears mixed with the gasoline, and Lana had to put the gag back over Andy to stop him from screaming.

His ex girlfriend kneeled in front of him and whispered in his ear, in perfect sight of Brenda. "Now, if you had just called, I wouldn't be burning her, would I?"

She grabbed Andy by his bad arm, and he started to scream in pain. Lana looked towards Brenda in the doorway, gripping onto Andy like a dog. "You know they used to burn witches and harlots at the stake, Brenda. It's your place."

Andy screamed for Brenda as he was dragged out of the bedroom. She began to wail as she felt the gasoline drip to the floor.

**23:24 pm**

Lana pushed Flynn in the lounge up against the sofa. He looked at the pools of gasoline leading to the bedroom, spread all over his and Brenda's belongings. She grabbed his chin and wrenched off the gag. She didn't look crazy, didn't look obsessed. She looked happy, like she had finally got what she wanted.

"You know, Andy, all I wanted was for us to get a happy ever after. Is that so bad? Kids, a little house in New Jersey? But…no. You had to come back here; you couldn't stay with me and your family."

"Surprisingly, Lana, I don't consider New Jersey home, or you my family."

Lana smiled at that, and took out a pack of matches from her pocket. She lit a flame. It danced in the air, and Flynn watched as she made it wobble. She blew out the match and turned to Andy. She knelt down and grinned. Relief sprung up in his heart - she wasn't a killer, she was just trying to teach them a lesson.

"I hate to hear you scream."

She reached around his neck and pulled the gag back into his mouth. Andy began to scream again, joined by Brenda's from the bedroom. Lana pulled out another match, struck it and threw the flame into the air. It lit up the house; the accelerant and the wooden furniture causing sparks to fly everywhere. Andy rolled himself onto his side, trying to get out of the path of the fire. He cried for Brenda, cried for her to get out, but he could barely hear himself.

The last thing he saw was Lana's face in the flames.

**19:42 pm**

**The Pope - Raydor Residence**

Tommy was out at a party with his new friend. Jean was in her hotel room, planning bonding activities for her and her son for the weekend. Estelle had taken Caitlin and Brendan out for dinner, and they were texting him every hour so he wouldn't worry that they were on the first plane to Mexico. Ricky had confessed, been charged and would be spending some time in lock up. Hanson was dead, there was no psychopath after them and no one in prison would be escaping. So Will decided to do what he had wanted to do for Valentine's Day.

Sharon had woken up from a brief nap to find an invitation and her little black dress laid out for her. She came down to find that the kitchen had been covered in candles and a romantic table cloth placed over the table. The food was rich Italian dishes, covered in pasta and cheese. There was some ice cream on the side chilling, and there was a large bottle of non alcoholic wine. She had been distressed to find the dress a little loose, but all thoughts were washed away when she saw Will wearing a tuxedo without the tie, carrying a huge bouquet of roses in his arms.

"You did all this for me?"

"Yeah, I did." Will moved over and kissed her softly. "I know you're stressed, I know this whole thing with Sam is worrying you but you did the right thing. Got to show Sam he can't threaten you and get away with it. Anyway, that's the last I'll say on the subject. More importantly, this is our dinner. The Valentine's dinner we were supposed to have. You've already got the gift I was going to give you, but I thought we might as well celebrate. We have a lot to, our daughter, our marriage, the rest of our lives."

Sharon blushed as he tucked her in her chair, kissing her neck. He poured them each a glass of wine, and dished up the food in front of them. Her stomach grumbled, she had once again barely eaten. He placed a ton of food on her plate, and she dug into the lasagne, enjoying the pasta with sounds usually reserved for him. There were bread rolls and a side helping of fried potatoes if she wanted them. He had been cooking all evening, wanting things to be perfect.

"This is amazing, Will. What did I ever do to deserve you?" Sharon asked off handily, but Will reached across and stroked her hand.

"Believe me; I'm always trying to wonder how you fell in love with me. Maybe we should both accept that we love each other, and that we deserve the love."

Sharon nodded and reached over the table to kiss him. They continued to eat, and Will watched happily as Sharon's whole face seemed to brighten. They talked about work; they talked about the kids and what they would be getting up to that night. Sharon's engagement ring made patterns dance on the ceiling: the whole night was magical.

Will smiled, taking another helping of lasagne. There would be no left overs at this rate, but he didn't care. He could go to the gym if need be. "Where do you want to go for our honeymoon? Anywhere you want."

Sharon bit her lip before reaching over to squeeze his knee. He grinned. "Where do you want to go?"

He thought for a moment before opening another bottle of wine. "Monte Carlo. Expensive as hell, but there's beaches, casinos…we could spend the weekend there, just enjoy ourselves."

"Spend lots of taxpayers' money?"

"Always a plus."

After dinner had all been eaten and Sharon had eaten a whole tub of ice cream to herself, Will reached for her hand. He changed the music on the stereo to something slow and romantic, and pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the moment as they swayed together. She couldn't imagine a place she wanted to be more than in his arms, right that moment. Will held onto her, savouring their dance.

**20:16 pm**

He had carried her into their bedroom and placed her on the bed, his lips never a few centimetres from an area of her skin. They collapsed onto the bed sheets, Will nibbling on her neck. Sharon pushed herself up on the pillows and brought him towards her, stroking his face. She kissed him again.

"Do you remember the time after we broke up that we ended up making out on here?" Sharon teased, and Will nodded, smiling as he pulled away from Sharon and opened the wardrobe doors to double check that Provenza, Claudia, Simon and Flynn weren't hiding in there. Sharon collapsed in a fit of giggles.

She dragged him down by his half opened shirt and kissed his lips, making sure to taste him. She wanted him, needed him more than she had ever thought she would. Will moved his hand up her legs, stroking her inner thighs. He wanted to be careful, so he let himself be pinned to the bed by a very eager Sharon.

They removed her dress together, and Will gazed over her skin in the black underwear she was wearing. It made her look paler than usual, and worry crossed his features. Sam's bruises stuck out on her skin. Her scars that were visible from that angle looked horrifying. Sharon pushed him hard to the bed and swallowed his mouth, trying to stop him from looking so scared for her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to slow her down. He wanted to be a gentleman, as much as he could be. His hands moved her legs around him, and he looked up at her with all the lust he could muster.

"Don't look at me like that, Will. Just be happy, be happy I'm here. Don't be scared, baby, no need to be. I'm not."

She was trembling, and Will pulled off his own shirt and wrapped it around Sharon. It dwarfed her thin frame. He kicked off his trousers and socks and brought her under the covers with him. He held her, stroking her hands and the scars on her back. "I love you, Sharon."

Sharon rested her head on his chest, and stroked the muscle she could feel under the skin. His arms held her safe in a cocoon of warmth, and she wondered whether she could talk to him. He wanted her to talk, wanted to tell him what she was thinking, feeling. But she couldn't find the words to tell him what she needed to, because she was trying hard not to feel anything at all.

**22:42 pm**

Sharon was asleep when Will looked out of their bedroom window. It was a cool September night, and while he was worried about Sharon he realised he should just enjoy his time with her. She would open up, talk to him when she was ready. He didn't need to push her, didn't need to ask after her health and make sure she didn't waste away. It wasn't what she needed from him right now.

Looking out the window he saw there was a car with a man standing out front, looking at the house. He didn't recognise the man, didn't recognise the car, but he knew there was something odd about it. He got dressed and reached for his badge and gun. Walking down the steps, he made sure that the door was locked. Caitlin and Brendan would be coming back in about an hour - their mother was taking them to a fairground. They had sent him pictures. Right now it was just him and Sharon.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Will looked at the man standing by the car, who looked surprised to see that he had come out. He was tall, maybe taller than he was. Broad, with tanned skin. He didn't know who he was, but he had some idea.

"Sam Broker, I presume."

The man chuckled, and Will had guessed right. This was the man that had beaten Sharon constantly, no doubt raped her and then made her miscarry her child. This was the man who had taken his fiancée only a few days previously and scared her so much that she could barely function. This was the man whose friend had put a loaded gun against Sharon's stomach with his baby girl inside.

"Will Pope, I presume. Chief of Police, don't see your bodyguards anywhere. You going to hit me, Pope? Is that why you came out here?"

"I could easily arrest you for assault."

Broker smiled. "But you won't, because Sharon won't press charges. She is confused, but she loves me, always has. There have been other men like there have been other women for me, but there will be no one else but each other."

"Really?" Will knew he was playing with fire but for once he didn't want to be the good boy, he didn't want to stand back and just let things go. He protected his family, took care of them. Sharon was part of his family and whether she liked it or not, he was going to take care of her. "Because the way I see it, Sam, she's engaged to _me_. She's carrying _my _child. She's in _our_ bed, right now, in _our_ house, waiting for _our_ kids to come home. You may have had her once, but you abused your right, quite literally, to ever have her again."

Sam laughed, sitting on the bonnet of his car. His clothes were expensive, rich and tailored. Will was in an LAPD t-shirt and whatever trousers he picked up from the floor. They weren't even in the same league. "I know her better than you could ever. I knew her father. I was there when Mickey Raydor died. I know her inside and out."

"You want us to have a fight over Sharon? Fine, we can do that. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter, because if Mickey Raydor had been alive to see you scar his daughter the way you have done, he'd have killed you. I may not have met him, I may not have seen her as a teenager but I know her, I know her heart. I see how she is at work, how she helps and defends people. I see the way she is with my kids. I see the woman she's become, _despite _you. Now get the hell off of this street before I call the police."

Will turned around to go back to the house when Sam grabbed his back and forced him onto the bonnet of his car. He slammed Will's face against the metal before pressing the blade of a knife against Will's back. "One move, and I'll slice you open."

"Do it, that will really get you the girl." Will snarled. "Tell me, did you ever give a thought to you killing your own son?"

Sam loosened his grip in shock and Will kicked him in the chest. He pulled his gun from his waist, unlocked the safety and chambered a round. He pointed the gun at Sam's head. Will left off a shot just close to Sam's shoulder to scare him.

"What, you think because I wear a badge that I'm going to be afraid of you? Not fight back? You have no idea what I'd do to protect my family." Will pulled out his phone. "Hi, this is Chief William Pope. I need a couple of black and whites at my address, a suspect just tried to assault me. Thank you." He turned to Sam, kicking his legs. "You don't frighten me, Sam. You're pathetic, obsessed. I don't even pity you, that's how little I care for you."

The two black and whites and the officers came along. Will gave them his statement, mentioned about the previous assault. He knew Sam would deny it and he would be out by tomorrow morning, but for tonight they were safe. Sam was forced into the car as Will holstered his gun, wanting to stay home with his fiancée. They would go in tomorrow morning and fill in a statement.

Sharon came out and joined him, having heard the gunshot. She looked at the departing Sam and shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that, Will. He'll come after you…he'll kill you."

Will pressed his mouth to Sharon's hungrily, and she took his kiss with gusto. "I don't fucking give a damn what he does. He's not part of us, he's the past. All that matters is us and the kids."

Sharon kissed him again, not looking back to where Sam was being led away. Maybe Will was right, it was time to stop letting it all wash over her, let it become part of the present. She wanted to feel alive again.

**23:29 pm**

**The Johnson - Flynn Residence**

They had gone for a walk. Sharon was glowing, but Will had started to shake from his experience with Sam. They both agreed that going for a walk was a good idea, just to take their minds off of it. Caitlin and Brendan were still out with their mother, so it was just them. Tommy hadn't called about the party, but Will was going to wait a little longer before he started to worry.

"You think they'll mind us popping in to say hello?" Sharon asked as they walked down the street.

Will shook his head. "I don't think so. If they're busy and there's no answer, we'll go get ice cream. I just want to see if Brenda's okay, she was weird this afternoon after seeing Wes."

Sharon smiled and leaned in to Will's embrace more. "Well whether he's a nut job or not, he saved my ass with Ricky. For that I am forever grateful."

They continued walking until they could see flames flickering in the distance. "Someone's having a bonfire," Sharon stated, but it wasn't the Fourth of July or Halloween. Both of them grew concerned.

They walked faster and Will started to run. "It's Brenda's house!"

Sharon stopped and took out her phone, calling for fire fighters to come to Brenda's house immediately. After ending the call she ran to join her fiancée. There were a few people who had rushed out of their homes, a lot on phones calling the fire brigade. Sharon reached the house just as Will kicked in the door to go inside.

"WILL!"

He could barely hear Sharon screaming for him. He knew he should wait for the fire fighters, but he wasn't sure if Andy's arm would be too much of a hindrance for Brenda. There was no sign of them outside, and his calls to them had only been returned with the gutting of flames. He moved in through the door, trying to see where everyone was.

"BRENDA! ANDY!"

He called out for them, but got no response. The flames were high, consuming everything. He turned to the right of the living room and Will saw a figure on the floor. Rushing over it, dodging flames, he saw it was Flynn. His arm was twisted back into handcuffs, and he was gagged. Will reached for his arms, slotting them over his own so he could drag the bound Andy out of the burning building. The house looked unstable, and there was no obvious sign of Brenda anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

Pushing through the doorway again, Will and Andy came outside to the gathering crowd. Sharon and some of the neighbours took Andy off of his hands, gave him some water to sip as he sucked air into his lungs. Sharon picked the lock on his handcuffs, giving him the room to move. Andy looked desperately to the house.

"Brenda. Bedroom."

There was no sign of the fire fighters anywhere; traffic was high on Friday nights. Sharon held onto Flynn and watched horrified as her fiancée went back inside the burning building after their friend.

**23:37 pm**

Brenda had managed to kick the door closed to keep out the flames. She kept screaming for Andy, but no one came for her. She had removed the gag around her mouth and kept screaming, but it seemed that the flames were too loud for her. Smoke started to creep under the door, and she grew light headed.

Andy's ring felt cold against her chest, and as she began to lose consciousness she thought about him and only him. About the life they could have had, about the memories they could have created. She had been too afraid of change, too afraid of going after what she wanted. Once again she had left living too soon and now it seemed like it was going to be taken away from her.

Flames started to lick under the door as she blacked out.

**23:37 pm**

She looked at the watch of the man also taking care of Flynn, and saw that three minutes had gone past since Will had gone inside. The emergency services were on their way, but there were several other fires that night in industrial areas, the woman on the phone had said. Andy was in good hands, there was a doctor on site who was checking his heart rate and had given him something for the shock - his arm looked awful.

"Andy, I'll be back."

He couldn't even summon the energy to tell her not to go inside the house. But he knew she wouldn't listen to him. Ignoring the protests of the others who were desperately calling the emergency services, Sharon went inside the building. She put her sleeve over her mouth to stop coughing the fumes, and looked around for her lover.

"WILL!"

She heard him call out her name in response and stumbled over to the hallway where Will was trapped. The dining room table had collapsed on his leg, forcing him to the ground. His face was white, and she rushed over to try and help him up.

"Sharon," he coughed. "Get the hell out of here."

She tried to move the table, but it was hard. She wasn't strong enough to do it, and there seemed to be metal digging into Will's flesh. He had tried to be a hero and it had got him nowhere. Sharon could roughly see the pathway to the bedroom, and to the flames attacking the closed door. She turned back and gave it one more try to force the wood off of him but he screamed in agony.

"Sharon, go. Please, just get the hell out. I'll be right behind you."

"Liar." She moved over to his side and gripped his face within her own. "You remember what you said to me yesterday? About how you couldn't live without me? Well I can't live without you, not going to try. So I'm here, with you. Where you go, I go. If you die…I'm already dead."

Will smiled and kissed Sharon as hard as he could. They weren't going to give up; they both kept trying to move the piece of wood off of Will's leg. He kept screaming in pain, but Sharon kissed him to dull it. They kept at it as the flames grew nearer. Ceiling tiles crashed around them, but Will reached for her hand, keeping it tight within his own. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she looked at him.

"I love you," Sharon whispered in his ear, clinging onto him as best she could. Will used his free hand to wipe the tears away from her face. He smiled at her, looking at her with more love than she could ever want.

"I love you too."

The sky continued to fall.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

_LA Times Online, 18__th__ September 2010 [Early Morning] _

_MCD UP IN FLAMES_

_It seems that luck hasn't been on the LAPD's side these last few months, with the Eddie Hanson case and the trouble in the new Chief's personal life. Another blow has been struck against Chief Pope and his inner circle after the house of head of Major Crimes Brenda Leigh Johnson went up in flames. _

_Eye witness reports suggest a fire was started inside the house by an unknown assailant at around eleven thirty last night. Neighbours called the police and soon after Chief of Police Will Pope and suspected girlfriend Commander Sharon Raydor of Force Investigation Division descended on the scene. Eyewitnesses describe how Chief Pope ran into the house and brought out a man, supposedly Chief Johnson's partner, and then went back inside to rescue Chief Johnson. When he didn't come out, Commander Raydor went inside after him. _

_"It was horrible," described a neighbour of Chief Johnson who wished not to be named. "I've known Chief Johnson and her husband since they moved in. We'd heard these noises from the house, we thought they were watching a horror movie on loud. When we saw the flames, we called the emergency services." _

_Another neighbour, Doctor Vince Margo, 43, was on hand to administer first aid to the man Chief Pope brought out of the house. "His arm was in a cast, and the fire looked to have caused very bad tissue damage. As for the woman with Chief Pope, she looked around five months pregnant. Neighbours tried to stop her going inside the house, but she didn't listen."_

_Neither the LAPD nor any local hospitals in the area have confirmed the status of Deputy Chief Johnson, Chief Pope or Commander Raydor. The man who was pulled out of the house is reported to be seeking hospital treatment. _

_LA Times Twitter Account, 18__th__ September 2010 [Early Morning]_

**_LANow _**_The man brought out of the fire at Deputy Chief Johnson's house is reported to be Captain Andrew Flynn, of UCLA Killer fame. _

**_LANow _**_No report as of yet whether Deputy Chief Johnson, Chief Pope or Commander Raydor are seeking hospital treatment. _

**_LANow _**_A body has been retrieved from Deputy Chief Johnson's home. No official identification has been made. _

_LA Times, 18__th__ September 2010 [Page 1]_

_ANOTHER TRAGEDY FOR THE LAPD_

_The LAPD will add another photograph to their memorial wall today after reports of one of their own losing their life. The officer in question, _

_[Article Incomplete] _

X

He moved through the flames like a dead man, and he was, more or less. He had been at bomb sites across the globe, had watched the handiwork of groups wanting attention, or his own government striking back. Fire didn't bother him, nor did falling pieces of ceiling and the debris from the fire.

The fire fighters were arriving; he could hear the sirens in the background. Covering his mouth with his sleeve, he used the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and attacked some of the flames on the door. The rest were too big to fight with a tiny little canister, but he could do this. Kicking in the door, he saw her lying on the floor. The room was heavy with smoke and her hands were locked behind her back with handcuffs.

She wasn't moving.

Reaching over, he gathered the blonde in his arms. She felt light, but then she had never been of particularly large frame. He saw the bedroom window to the left and kicked it open. Removing the glass, he pushed her through the window. She landed unceremoniously on the ground outside it, but a few broken bones were nothing to being burnt alive. He kicked the door shut, stopping anymore flames from coming in.

He joined her on the ground outside, and brought her onto her back, trying to help her breathe. He performed CPR, trying to get oxygen into her lungs as best he could. She stuttered after a few minutes, gasping for any air she could find. He moved behind her back and undid the handcuffs. Her wrists were rubbed raw, her head looked nasty.

Brenda opened her eyes blearily, trying to focus on whatever had happened. She looked up, her body aching, and found Wes' face. She tried to sit up, but her body wasn't having it. He tried to support her best he could, making sure she was comfortable.

"You saved me," Brenda coughed.

"Congratulations, you really are a detective," We snarled. He picked her up, supporting her shoulders so her feet dangled over the floor. He was bringing her round the back; he could see the sirens outside the house now. Many ambulances, many fire fighters.

"Why did you save me?" Brenda croaked as they moved around to the other side of the house. Wes looked behind them and steered her further forward.

"Because I don't think you killed my wife, Brenda. But I think you know who did."

"I know shit."

Wes smiled, and gripped her close to him as he dragged her out into view of the ambulances. The paramedics saw them and rushed over. He clung onto her as best as he could so she wouldn't fall down. "I need a name, Brenda. Just a name."

"No one knew who it was, Wes. No one cared; they just wanted to hurt you. You left; it was second best to them killing you. I talked them out of that." The paramedics reached them, and grabbed for Brenda. "I didn't know they'd hurt your family instead."

He watched as they took her to one of the ambulances; one with Andy Flynn driving away. She had answered his question, he now knew more of the truth but he was still lost. At least he had done his good deeds for the year.

X

The last thing she saw was Will's face. The last words he ever said to her were mouthed as the smoke over came them, some bizarre circumstantial suicide pact.

_I love you. _

The air had become thick with smoke, and breathing had become an issue. Tiles crashed around them, Will screaming in pain. She clung onto his hand for as long as she could, wishing that someone would come and help her move the table off of him. Just someone to give her what she needed, so for once she could have both, she could live and have her man. She didn't want to choose.

Things went black, and all she could hear were whispers of fabric, the scent of burning wood and the crash of flames gutting the house. Suddenly things changed and she could feel oxygen being dragged into her lungs.

Sharon Raydor tore open her eyes, not sure where she was. She could see the stars above the Los Angeles skyline, and she could see the flashing lights of ambulances and fire engines. She looked on the former house of Brenda Leigh Johnson and watched as the place curled in on itself like a burnt piece of paper. The hoses tried to stem the ferocity of the blaze, and it looked like it was working.

"WILL! WILL!" Sharon croaked, trying to see where he was. He wasn't next to her; he could still be in the house. The paramedics fought to get a hold of her, to look after her, but she just wanted to make sure Will was okay.

She began to break from their grip when she caught sight of two fire fighters dragging him out of the house. His face was white, his leg was at a bad angle but he was alive. He beamed when he saw her, and tried to reach for her, but was dragged to another ambulance by more paramedics.

Brenda Leigh Johnson was being pushed into an ambulance, and she nodded at the two of them before leaning back, inhaling the oxygen given to her. Andy was nowhere to be seen, but Major Crimes and FID were on the peripheral, watching the house go up in flames. Will waved to her as he was bundled away into the ambulance, blowing her a kiss as he left.

They were alive. Her skin felt raw, her lungs felt chewed up but above all, she was alive. The paramedic closed the doors - it was time to go to the hospital. She would see Will later, once she knew that she was okay. Like it was ingrained into her, she put a hand over her stomach. She couldn't feel any movement, and the lack of it frightened her. She started to hyperventilate, her body rejecting all negative possibilities. The paramedics put more oxygen inside her, trying to calm her down as they drove to the hospital.

When they were ten minutes away, Sharon felt her daughter weakly kick her hand. She cried with joy.

X

It was true that in moments of great turmoil or stress, you flashed back to all the things you had done, all the things you wished you could change. Tommy remembered the first time he had rode a bike, first time he had driven a car. All things he had done without his father. He remembered playing football games, the first time he had ever slept with a girl, the last time he had been to his home in DC. He remembered being on those tracks, he remembered hoping against hope that his father came for him, but wishing just a little bit that he didn't. He wanted to hurt everyone and himself.

_"I remember the day no one picked me up from school, no one went to parent teacher night. The day no one went to my basketball game. You didn't want a kid. You wanted a pet. Well I think it's time that this pet got put down."_

He remembered his father's face when he had said those words, had remembered the pain running through them. He had torn up his shoulder dragging him out of a car so he wouldn't kill himself. He remembered the horror in his face when Brenda had told him what happened to Sharon, and the guilt that would stick with them both.

_"I would die for you."_

He could remember sitting down with Sharon a few days after Hanson had been killed. They were sitting out in the back garden, a drink in their hands. He remembered Sharon telling him about her father, about her mother, about Sam. She had shown him the scars, all of them, old and new. She had looked at him, looked so proud for how he was, how he was trying to cope.

He remembered seeing his father's face that morning - a look of pride and love. The look he had always seen on his father's face.

"Come on, Pope! Do it!"

Tommy shook his head, breaking himself out of memory lane. He turned towards Jacob Weaver, the image of his father's face stuck in his mind. He spun the knife around in his hand and brought it down into Jacob's shoulder. The football player went down to the floor, screaming in agony. No one moved; no one knew what they were going to do next. The players let go of their grip on Danny.

The young Pope looked down on Jacob and wrenched the knife out of his shoulder. He pressed him down to the ground with his foot, hissing through the pain of his cracked rib. "Danny, get Mina."

Danny tore off the jacket he wore and wrapped it around the teenage girl before picking her up and carrying her in his arms. She was weak, disorientated. Whatever they had given her was not wearing off - they needed to take her to a hospital. Tommy reached out for his mobile phone and dialled for an ambulance.

"Yeah, a friend of mine has been drugged in a frat prank gone wrong. We're at the UCLA frat district; the house with all the blue and yellow banners out front, our friend will be carrying her. Thank you."

He ended the call and nodded for Danny to take Mina out of the basement. He looked down at Jacob Weaver as the door closed behind him. He threw the knife down on the floor and turned to him. He was bleeding; one of his frat buddies was putting pressure on his wound.

"You want to die so badly, go take a car onto the tracks. I don't want to die; I don't want to become a monster. I've offered you something that Eddie Hanson never offered any of us: mercy. Your sister is dead, and I'm sorry, but I honestly wish he was into killing boys, as you certainly deserve what he did to her. At least that way, justice would be done."

The group parted so he could get to the door. Just as he reached the handle, he turned around to Jacob Weaver, who looked almost solemn. "Oh, and FYI? My Dad is the fucking Chief of Police, and Mina is my step mother's niece. You can fuck with me all you like, but don't mess with the blue line. You'll regret it."

He joined Danny in waiting for the ambulance. As they drove away, he thought he could make out her smile.

X

"Who would do this to the Chief?"

They had decided to stay and investigate rather than go to the hospital. There would be time for that later, but it seemed that they all agreed they had spent too long there recently. Crime scene tape had gone up around the house; the fire had been cooled and calmed. There seemed to be a light bordering on the horizon, it seemed like the sun wanted to rise on the day.

Claudia turned to Gabriel, who was staring up at the house with horror. "Well think of how many people the Chief has pissed off over the years. Hell, think of how many people _Flynn _has pissed off over the years! I'm sure someone has got a fire fetish."

Provenza shivered, and looked to Tao. "Croelick likes playing with fire. He also likes playing with the Chief and Flynn."

Tao nodded and moved to the nearest squad car. "I'll put out an alert to bring him into the office."

The remaining structure was too dangerous for them to go through, so they had to go around the house. They had flashlights over the most dangerous of areas, looking for any information that would give them clues. Once the Chief and Flynn were able to speak without needing masks, they could ask who did it. But for now they had to see if there was anything they could get without their help, and make a quick arrest.

Gabriel shook his head as he thought over the events of the night. "What was Flynn doing here anyway?"

"Other than sleeping with the Chief, I can't guess," Claudia stated, earning an appreciative glance from Provenza.

The two teams were glad to be working together again, but it was a shame it had to be in these circumstances. As they moved around the back of the house, Claudia had a thought. "You think Agent Howard is capable of this?"

Once again, Gabriel disagreed with her. "I've known Agent Howard a while, and he seems like a stand up guy. He wouldn't do this to the Chief, he loves her."

"Of course if she's fucking another guy," Simon started, and Sanchez nodded, finishing his sentence.

"We see it all the time. Love is one of the biggest causes of murder. And jealousy."

They were joined round the back of the house, leading on to another street, by Wes Carpenter. They had only met him on the scene, but he carried a badge and had saved Chief Johnson's life - they seemed to be old friends. Claudia nodded to him as he joined in the search with flashlights.

"There's something over here."

Provenza pointed the flashlight to the prone form of a woman, and snarled when he realised who it was. "Lana."

Simon rushed over to get her pulse, but shook his head when he couldn't find one. The teams moved over and examined the position of where Lana's body was and where the house was - she could directly see as the house burned.

"Looked like jealousy was the motive, we were just concentrating on the wrong partner," Provenza mumbled, turning his flashlight away from the dead woman. He felt sad for Lana, he did, but if she had been behind the cause of the fire then he was glad she was dead. He didn't want to lose anyone.

Claudia looked over and saw the nasty step that Lana was collapsed on. "How does her neck look?"

"Fine, except for being broken," Simon mumbled, joining his friend in staring at the step.

Claudia turned to Wes Carpenter, who was looking over the scene with a fine tooth comb, before standing in what appeared to be the spot Lana had been on. "Looks like she had stayed to watch her handiwork, stayed to watch them burn. Maybe she had a change of heart and went for help, tripping over the stairs and breaking her neck."

Claudia shone her light into Carpenter's face, noticing the thin traces of a smile. He turned to her. "Well at least that's what I hope happened. God forbid we have anyone else around here trying to kill people."

She shone the light away, realising that maybe it was best if she didn't delve into the answer. Claudia was sure she would find nothing, which was what she was meant to.

X

Mina was going to be okay. Danny was ringing his parents so they could pick him up from the hospital, while Tommy was waiting by her bedside. She was having her stomach pumped so they could try and get whatever she had taken out of her blood stream, and then give her fluids and lots of rest. She would be okay - and Tommy hoped it would be the last girl he would ever see so incapacitated.

"Hey," she croaked, and Tommy grinned. He reached down and kissed her hand.

"You okay, Mina? Your grandfather is going to have a cow, he told you not to come."

Mina laughed grittily. "I'll take that under consideration. Thank you."

"It's okay; I wasn't going to kill you, Mina. For one, Sharon would kill me."

She looked off into the distance, still gripping onto his hand. Her gaze focussed back onto him. She looked like she was in a daze, but her smile was as bright as it could be. "I love you, Tommy."

She smiled wistfully for a moment before drifting off into sleep. He didn't know what to say to her; just kissed her forehead and decided to leave, call Sharon and his father, talk to them about what had gone on. Once again, he was thinking about dropping out of College and starting again the next year. He wasn't having much luck with higher education.

Tommy headed to go get something from the vending machine. Danny was there with a cup of coffee, and he smiled weakly at him. There were no words they could say to each other - only the hope that it was now all over.

"Tommy!"

He recognised the voice, and looked to see Caitlin running down the hall, followed by Brendan. She buried her arms around her older brother, clinging onto him in tears. Tommy looked up to see Brendan also crying, and Estelle and his mother looking upset.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked them, his thoughts immediately concerned about Sharon and the baby. He left them alone for five minutes…

Caitlin continued to cry, and he turned towards Estelle who explained what was going on. "Your father was involved in a fire. I'm not sure where or what happened, but apparently Sharon was with him. They called us, and now we're here."

Tommy felt numb. He knew he should do something; he should help his little sister and find out where their father was. But he didn't want to be a grown up, he wanted to be a teenager and drink and party and study hard when he could. He didn't want the responsibility, the weight of it all.

Danny rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go sit by Mina, call her parents on your behalf. You go check on your Dad."

He thanked his friend, and gave him the number of Mina's father. They should also be told if there was something up with Sharon, but he wasn't sure yet. Holding his little sister's hand, he took control of his family and went looking for their father. Estelle made sure Brendan was okay, and Jean watched as her son took care of his family. She didn't ask what he was doing in a hospital, didn't wonder who the boy was, or who Mina was. She would find out in good time.

They found the hospital room that their father was in, having been taken up from the emergency room. Tommy fumbled the door knob the first time, and then managed to open the door to see his father. He was pale, hooked up to a machine making sure he was getting enough oxygen. His leg was being cleaned, the wound looked awful. His father looked worried, and when he turned to the door he almost looked disappointed for a moment. Tommy laughed.

"Wanted someone else, Dad?"

"They won't tell me how Sharon is doing." He paused. "Come here you guys!"

Tommy walked over and reached for his father. He wrapped his arms around him, clinging on. Looking at him, so weak and yet resolute - he couldn't imagine his father as anything less than a police officer, standing up for justice. No doubt he had done something stupid like gone into a burning building to save a puppy or something. Tommy clung onto his father and started to cry, the adrenaline from the night causing him to break down into tears.

"Hey, I'm okay. Just a broken leg. They're treating me for tetanus, and I'll have to stay in tonight and maybe tomorrow, but I'll be okay. Strong lungs, I'm fine."

As Tommy broke away from his father, Caitlin reached up and curled next to him. He kissed her head and reached out for Brendan's hand. He smiled at Jean and Estelle. The latter nodded towards them. "Jean and I will be outside. If it's okay with you, we'll take all three kids back to your house and make sure they're okay for tonight, and then I'm sure Tommy can look after them until you're back on your feet."

Tommy and Will nodded at Estelle as the two women left, Jean squeezing her son's shoulder as they left the room. When it was just Popes and the nurses, Will started to laugh at how calm and non-controlling Jean and especially Estelle were. Caitlin grinned against her father's arm.

"Has the world ended?"

"Probably," Will smiled, taking in all three of his kids. He hoped that he would never have to gather them in a hospital room ever again.

"What happened, Dad?" Tommy asked, putting his arm around Brendan.

"Sharon and I were going for a walk, going to see if Andy and Brenda were about. Their house was on fire, I went in to get Andy out, and then went back inside for Brenda. Got trapped under a dining room table, and Sharon came in after me. Some fire fighters brought us out."

Tommy shook his head and reached for his father once again. "Is Sharon going to be okay?"

"I don't know. Listen, I'll be fine here; let your mothers take you home, get some sleep. I'll call you with more news." Will kissed Caitlin's head. "I'll be fine, I need to sleep anyway."

"Promise you'll wake up?" Caitlin asked, almost crying.

"I promise that I will, sweetheart. I promise you that."

Tommy ushered Caitlin and Brendan out of the room after they had hugged and kissed Will. The young man turned to his father. "Is she going to be okay, Dad? I want to stay with you till you know."

"I have no idea son, and I would love for you to stay but…I need to be alone for this, Tommy. I love you, but I need to keep you from getting hurt. I don't want to cry in front of my kids."

Tommy reached over and gripped his father. "I feel like I'm not your child anymore."

Will held his son's face, and noticed there was something off in his eyes. "Are you okay? Did something happen at the party?"

"I don't want to cry in front of my Dad."

Will laughed. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, after some sleep. You'll always be my child, Tommy; I'll always want to protect you. But I am glad to see that you are becoming the man I've always seen in you. Now, get some sleep, and don't bury Estelle under the patio, we want to sell the house."

Outside in the corridor, Tommy didn't tell anyone why he was laughing. Back home, with Estelle in the guest room and Caitlin and Brendan asleep, he cried to his mother, who just held her son.

X

He had been in pain before, and had survived it. But this was unlike anything he had ever come across, and eventually he just gave into the drugs, the feel of relief spreading through his veins. Everything was like a dream state. Maybe it all was a dream. He was still in bed after Hanson's attack - maybe it went even further than that?

The night that Sharon had told them about her father, that must be it. He was asleep after that; he would wake up in a moment and find it would be January rather than September. He would laugh some parts of his dream off with Provenza - him being a Captain, him having a super hot girlfriend, but would not mention any of the other things. He wouldn't talk about Sharon being raped; he wouldn't talk about shooting Jimmy. Hanson would still be out there, but he wouldn't be scarred, his wrist would still have skin on it.

"Mr Flynn? How are you feeling?"

Andy opened his eyes through the haze and turned to the nurse. She was looking at him with so much pity, and he knew he was crying. He realised too late he needed the pain, needed to know that the pain was real. Because it anchored him, because without it he would slip into a dream world where he lusted after the Chief, where everyone was sort of happy and no one was hurt. He searched, and on the peripheral of the haze there was the pain, and it snapped him out of his dream as he focussed on that.

"Chief Johnson. Is she alive?" he asked, tears forming in the corner of his eye. "Is she dead?"

The nurse didn't say anything, and Andy collapsed to the bed. Lana had got her wish, she had taken the one thing from him that he had ever wanted, ever desired more than a bottle of whiskey, a case to close. She had been the one thing that made sense; that gave him what he needed.

The pain numbed his body, and Andy wondered whether he would be able to get off of whatever this medication was quite easily, or whether they would have to drop down his dosage slowly until they were comfortable letting him off it. He didn't know, but it didn't matter to him anymore. As soon as he was out of this hospital room, he was going to go to a bar and drink himself into oblivion. He didn't want to think anymore.

"Mr Flynn, hello, I'm Doctor Sanford. Reviewing your chart, I can tell you that your cast protected your arm from a lot of the burns. Unfortunately your other arm must have undergone some fire damage during your escape, not aided by the metal handcuffs you were wearing. There is going to be some definite scaring on your wrist, and we are hoping to do a skin graft to cover that section of your forearm. Your other arm does need to be reset, but we can do that quite easily." He smiled at him, his lips painfully thin. "I am very sorry, Mr Flynn. We are trying everything."

But Flynn wasn't paying attention to the doctor towards the end; he knew he was in a bad shape. He was looking towards where the nurses were pushing another bed into the room. He sat up, hissing from the sudden stab in pain that the medication didn't cover. He looked towards the bed, recognised the blonde hair and the beautiful smile as she looked his way. An oxygen mask covered her face.

"Brenda."

She rolled over to where he was, and he could see that she was crying. Another tear slipped down his cheek as he stared at her, happy she was alive. He could still die of infection, complications in his damn surgery. He was going to recommend the LAPD institute jelly handcuffs, just so they were easier to get out of in case of fire.

But she was okay, that was all that mattered.

"Ms Johnson, your chart looks okay. Smoke inhalation, the head injury, shock of course and maybe some follicle damage from the gasoline. Thankfully you were brought out before the fire got into the room, which makes your injuries fairly light. I'll be keeping you in overnight of course, just to make sure there are no underlying problems and to treat your concussion. But I think you're going to be okay. As are you, Mr Flynn. We'll be keeping you in for a lot longer, but I think you're going to be alright."

The nurses made another cursory check on Andy and Brenda before they left the room. As they looked out of the window, they could see that the sun was rising. It was Saturday. Brenda pulled off the oxygen mask and moved over to where Andy was - she was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"I hate those gowns…I always feel like…I don't know, I've just seen so many people in them die. I had Gabriel bring me some spare clothes from the office. Everything's gone," Brenda whispered as she looked at Andy.

"I'm sorry."

Brenda shook her head. "If anyone has to apologise, it's Lana the nut job. You have a great taste in women, Andy, just saying." She sat down on a chair next to Andy's bed, sucking in oxygen. Her hair was freshly washed, and the wound on her head was stitched up. "It's not your fault. Although, I think in future everyone at the LAPD needs to tell everyone who they are interested in, and make things clear. Ambiguous statements seem to be a bad thing."

"Guess I should tell Simon I'm not interested."

There was a snort from the doorway, and they turned to see Simon and Provenza come in. Simon shook his head at the pair of them. "I'm over you, Flynn. I like my men a little less gung ho."

Brenda smiled, but that soon faded when Gabriel came in, angry that she wasn't in bed. She rolled her eyes and moved over to place the oxygen mask back over her face for a few quick breaths before taking it back off again. Gabriel seemed appeased, but looked worried at the pair of them. He turned to the Chief.

"What happened?"

Brenda closed her eyes, hearing her own screaming inside her head. She whispered one word, which seemed to confirm Gabriel's suspicions. "Lana."

Claudia came in through the door, nodding at them and smiling at the Chief. "The fire fighters didn't manage to save much from the house. Some of the bedroom stuff is intact, mostly because the fire didn't reach it. The kitchen is gone, as is the living room. But…" Claudia brought something from behind her back. It was the Chief's handbag. "We saved the third most important thing."

Brenda smiled and ran her fingers over the bag. Andy grinned as he sat back in bed, tracing patterns in the bed sheets. The medication still wouldn't cover all the pain, and he rode it out. He looked up at Provenza, who was not impressed with seeing his best friend in hospital. It wasn't like he had planned it!

"You'll need to find Lana; get a confession out of her. Treat her like a witness, or Andy's next of kin or something; make reference to us being together to spark something off. She definitely lit the match." Brenda gritted her teeth as she shivered on the bed, flashing back to the events of the night before.

The two Lieutenants and the Sergeant turned towards Provenza, and he nodded. There was something that their half of two teams weren't telling them. He rubbed the back of his head and turned towards Flynn, not sure how his friend would accept the news.

"We found Lana. I'm sorry, Flynn, but she's dead." Provenza shook his head, growing angry. "As you two would have been, had Chief Pope and that Carpenter guy not pulled you out! So, I'm glad she's dead. Saves us having to file charges."

Claudia noticed that there was a look in the Chief's eye at the mention of Carpenter that she couldn't quite identify. It was something she had never seen before, and she didn't want to see again - something worse than fear. She turned to Claudia, hiding what she had seen in her eyes. "How did Lana die?"

"Broken neck," Claudia barked, not mentioning about the step.

Andy looked over to Brenda, wondering why she looked so concerned. The blonde Deputy Chief didn't say anything more, just reached and gripped for Andy's hand as tight as she could. His good hand was now the one that had been broken mere weeks before, but he still held onto her, wanting the contact with her.

"Chief? I mean it was an accident, Lana. You think otherwise?"

Brenda turned to Provenza. "No, Lieutenant. Write up your report with all the details, the coroner will no doubt decide how Lana died. The only people who wanted her dead were burning in the house."

Gabriel nodded and they moved outside to give them some room. Simon shook his head at Claudia for worrying the Chief, and Provenza rested his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. Outside she could see the rest of the team waving at her, and Wes standing there. He gave her a nod, and she nodded back.

"You sure, Chief?" Claudia asked from the doorway, turning towards Carpenter. He gave her a smile.

"I am, Lieutenant. Sometimes guilty people get justice from us, sometimes something else intervenes. Thank you, Claudia."

She shook the thoughts out of her head and concentrated on Flynn, who was intent on gripping onto her hand as hard as he could. They didn't say anything, just tried to fall asleep. Flynn watched Brenda fall asleep, and then turned, trying himself. The pain was still there, and he looked at his bandages, wondering what he had done to deserve them. Finally, he drifted off. They missed the news told to the team. They missed Claudia breaking down onto her knees in tears.

X

Will was getting irate at how no one would tell him how Sharon was doing. He yelled, but no one would tell him what was going on. After the sun had come up, and he had been in the hospital for hours without sleep, a doctor came in to talk to him. He looked grave, and Will wondered whether it was his fiancée or his daughter he had lost, or possibly both. Life didn't seem to be on their side.

"Mr Pope, you've been asking about Sharon Raydor. You're her next of kin on her forms, so I'm comfortable informing you about her status." He sat down on the chair next to Will. "Mr Pope, Sharon suffered no physical injuries apart from a few scrapes and bruises, but she inhaled quite a lot of smoke. We've had her on oxygen for a while, running constant ultrasounds to see how her child is doing."

"Okay." He didn't like the sound of this, not at all.

The doctor pushed a nonexistent lock of hair behind his head. "I've been looking at her records, and if I'm honest I'm surprised she hasn't had any trouble with the baby previously. I would have expected her to miscarry. She has a history of it, the last time she was pregnant. She suffered great trauma in February, and then with several incidents of stress over the summer…Mr Pope have you ever considered the idea that Sharon might want a termination?"

Will nodded solemnly. "At the beginning of her pregnancy she was in London, recovering from rape. She told me once that she had thought about getting an abortion while she was there, but she came back to LA before she could. She fell in love with our daughter; there was no need to consider it anymore. Why?"

"Well I think that her lack of eating, her lack of carefulness may stem from either a desire to kill the baby, or to kill herself, put bluntly. I've recommended her for a week's observation in here, where we're going to get her weight up."

"Did she miscarry? You said you were checking, and then you said it would be highly likely that she would!"

A glimmer of a smile graced the doctor's features. "Someone is looking out for you, Mr Pope. Sharon is very weak, very underweight, as is the child. She did inhale a lot of smoke, and we will be looking for any abnormalities the child will have when she's born. She may be born premature, so it is vitally important that we get their weight up, and that Sharon rests."

The doctor stood up from his seat and turned to Will. "You can see her now; you can talk to her and explain to her what needs to be done. You both work at the LAPD, so I'm recommending she visits the psychologist there twice a week, at least, to see if there are any underlying issues behind the troubles in her pregnancy. But, as long as we get their weight up and Sharon stays in bed until the little one is born, they'll be okay."

Will didn't know what to say, and thankfully the Doctor left him to it. His heart was beating wildly, and thankfully two of the nurses helped get him into a wheelchair so he could go see Sharon. She was in a room another floor down. He thanked them as he got to her door, and pushed it open.

Sharon was there, lying on the bed, having another ultrasound. She looked gaunt, pale, wrapped in thick blankets apart from her stomach which was on show. He could see his daughter on the monitor, could see how small she was. Probably less than the three pounds she was supposed to be. But she had eyebrows.

"Hey, you."

"Hey yourself," Sharon whispered.

The nurse left them alone, and Will rolled over to see her. She was smiling when she saw him, and she reached for his hand, and he took it between his, kissing her palm. Sharon was smothered in blankets, had an IV plugged into her arm.

"How long have you known you've been underweight?"

"Since the other day, when we went for the scan." Sharon sighed. "But I suspected before then, I was underweight when I came back from London and one thing and another…I'm sorry, Will. I am so sorry."

He reached up, bearing his weight on his good leg and kissed her forehead. She cupped his face with her hand, and he watched with horror as her eyes began to fill with tears. He brushed them away, but they kept growing.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself, or her, I wasn't, Will, I wasn't. I love her, I love her so much."

"I know, babe, I know."

He kissed her head, not sure what more he could say to her, what advice he could share to help ease the pain in her heart. He swung his leg around so he was leaning on the hospital bed. She accommodated him, and rested against his chest. His good leg rested between hers. Words wouldn't come to him, but just holding onto her meant the world. She was still here, he was still here.

"I love you, Will. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone, and it's scary. I have been so miserable for so long, I've been through so much…I don't think I deserve this."

He kissed her neck, and Sharon shivered at the intimate gesture. He whispered in her ear. "We're in this together."

"I know, Will, but…"

Will shook his head, looking at her with soft eyes. "We are in this together. We're getting married. You have tried to be strong for yourself, and I've tried to give you space, but it hasn't worked. We're two halves, Sharon, we make each other whole." He ran his fingers over her neck, stroking where it met her back. She purred. "The Doctor wants you in therapy. We'll do it together, you and me. You can talk about Sam and Hanson and Jimmy, and I can talk about my Dad. And my Mom. And my brother."

Sharon looked at him, surprised. "You never talk about them."

"You think you're the only one who is fucked up? Get in line. We'll both share; we'll both have a competition to see who has the worst issues." He had a look at the IV. "They're making you stay here for a week; I'll be here every day, as much as I can. When you come out, you'll officially be on maternity leave, confined to your bed for the simple purposes of resting, watching sports and cuddling with your adorable fiancé."

Sharon giggled and leaned in to kiss Will. He laughed once again, and it finally stuck in her head that she wanted this life, wanted and deserved what happened to her, all the good little things that seemed to happen now she had this incredible man in her life.

"Just cuddles?" Sharon teased.

"We'll work on it. Start small, start innocent and then get a little risky." He brushed her hair back. "As soon as we get back I'm having guards and a ton of locks put on the house. I'm sorting out a new place, our place." He grinned and kissed her again. "I am having you, Sharon, as my wife, and there is not a damn thing the universe can do about it. I'm not used to not getting what I want."

"Good. Because I never get what I want, but I think I finally am. We'll do it, Will. Therapy, staying here." Sharon coughed. "Maternity leave, if I have to. I want this." She looked into his eyes. "I want this. I want to be happy."

"We are."

They hugged once more, being as close as they dared. Will wanted to let her get some sleep, and was about to move into his chair so he could get some of his own when there was a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Ian Baker, looking weary.

"Hey Ian, came to check up on me?" Sharon teased, and noticed his smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'm okay, Ian, everyone is okay."

Her smile faded as Ian approached, trying to look calm but his eyes revealed anything but. He was crying. Will felt awkward sitting on the bed, and moved to swing into his chair. Sharon gripped onto his hand, not wanting to go.

Will turned towards Sharon's oldest friend. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No, you should stay, Chief," Ian's voice broke as he spoke. "A black and white was doing a cursory pass through this road, came across a body lying in a ditch. Three stab wounds to his chest, obviously dumped."

"Who? Ian, who is it?" She already knew the answer, but it just seemed wrong that it would be.

"Stephen," he coughed before the tears let loose again. He rested a hand on Sharon's bed, trying to steady himself.

Will shook his head. "Captain, you must be mistaken. How would Chief Mitchell end up like that, it makes no sense - he doesn't go out on the job. Maybe it was someone carrying his ID, mistaken identity with cops happens more than you think."

Ian pulled a bag out of his jacket and threw it on the bed. It was the personal effects from the body - _Stephen_ - a wedding ring and a wallet. Sharon used a tissue to dig inside the bag and open up the wallet. She recognised the pictures, of his family, of his girls. And there, right at the end, was a picture of all five of them from so many years ago.

Sharon curled on her side, looking at the picture. She began to cry, and Will could only offer her his comforting embrace, his own grief building inside him. Ian left them to it after taking the ring and the wallet, needing to go see Michael and Eddie next. As he closed the door, he saw both of them curled in each other, crying.

Outside the hospital room, Ian Baker realised it would be easier to tell Stephen Mitchell's wife and children then it would be to tell his own friends. The LAPD redefined 'family', and as he walked back to his car, he was glad that Will and Sharon had each other.

_Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy, you must have somebody to divide it with._

_Mark Twain_

"I'm coming."

Will looked behind him to see Sharon wrapped up in a bed sheet. It seemed almost a mirror to the morning they had gone into Court, except today he was not trying to pick a tie to impress a judge, but to wear to his friend's funeral. She was not trying to deal with her pregnancy alone, she had him, but he could only help her grieve so much. He pressed his back against the wardrobe and looked at Sharon. She seemed defiant for someone who had only been out of hospital two days.

"I know what the doctor said, I know they said that I had to keep calm and just relax. But its Stephen's funeral, Will! I want to come."

The first week back at work had been bad, he'd had to hobble everywhere, he had to deal with the newspapers speculating about who could have murdered the head of Internal Affairs, conspiracy theories circling around like vultures. All he cared about was his children, and his fiancée. Caitlin and Brendan were fine, they had agreed to the custody terms and enjoyed seeing their mother more than they had, glad she was making an effort. Tommy had made plans to go back to his mother's fairly soon - he still hadn't told Will what had gone on, although he knew Sharon had some idea from the phone call Otto had made. He was waiting for his son to tell him, he didn't want to push him.

"I don't know what tie to wear." He looked at his wardrobe and shut the door behind him. He picked up his crutches and hobbled over to the bed. He slipped in next to her, holding her hand, tipping the crutches onto the floor. He hated to use them, hated to appear weak in front of his officers but he knew if he didn't then Sharon would rip him apart for not taking care of himself.

They said nothing, just held each other's hand. She was shaking under the covers, her face a little flushed but still pale. "You won't tell me about the case, Will. Have you found someone yet?"

"No, no one. I knew he was working on a case, but…I doubt it has anything to do with it, I honestly do." He clutched her closer to him, wishing he could give her better news.

"I miss him, Will. He was…I've had plenty of people trying to step into my father's shoes. Stephen was never like that, he was my mentor, he was my boss. He was my friend. I miss him so much; I just can't believe he's not here anymore."

She leant her head against his shoulder, and their hands entangled themselves in the sheets. Michael had collapsed against the door when he had been told about Stephen's death. Eddie had not said anything, just sat on his chair and watched a blank television. She hadn't heard how Ian had taken the news, but his phone had gone straight to voicemail all week.

"I don't know anything about IA traditions, Sharon…do you wear your uniforms? Babe?" Sharon broke out of her thoughts to look at Will who was smiling so softly at her, trying to keep her from getting hurt from so many things. "Tell me about Internal Affairs traditions when someone passes away."

Her lips fumbled over each other, she wasn't sure what to say. "We wear red. Just something red."

He smiled. "Red tape. Okay, why don't you get dressed and I'll dig out my red tie." He kissed her on the forehead and reached out for his crutches.

"I can come?"

"I would never deny you that," Will whispered. "I miss him too, Sharon, so much. It kills me that we can't find the guy that did this, I want to so badly. But we will. I promise you that."

Sharon moved from the covers and Will couldn't stop looking at her. She had put on quite a bit of weight in the past week, rounding out her hips and her breasts, and also making her start to show. She looked healthy - and although she still had some way to go and was on a strict diet from the hospital, she was getting there. The past two evenings they had gone out for a walk, and Sharon had made him promise he would not go and rescue anyone from any burning buildings. Like he could with his peg leg.

"Will, could you help me with this?"

She had gone and bought a few new clothes yesterday with Claudia and Simon, just to bolster her wardrobe and so they would actually fit. She hated to wear pyjamas all the time; she liked to be dressed and ready for work. He hadn't seen some of the clothes, but one of them was a red sun dress that reached her knees. She had a black cardigan that would go over the top.

"Sure."

She pulled off her pyjama bottoms and shirt, and changed into a fresh pair of underwear. Will's gaze never left her, took all of her in. Every single scar, ever single mark on her. As she handed him the dress, he knew that she wanted it this way, for her to be on show for him. He pulled the dress over her head, helped her slip into the spaghetti sleeves. He did the zipper at the back and kissed the neck that was on show. He pulled her cardigan around her shoulders, and she helped him with his tie.

"You look beautiful."

She didn't say anything, just held onto him for as long as his body would allow. His heart would let her hold onto him forever.

X

She was staying in a hotel. Her home was gone; all her possessions bar a few were burned out of recognition. She had a single suitcase containing the clothes she had, the few trinkets that had been saved. Her photographs, her furniture: everything was gone. They had insurance for acts of arson, so apart from not getting her deposit back she wouldn't lose any money.

"Hi, Fritz, it's me again. When you get a chance, call me back."

Brenda had left half a dozen voicemail messages on his phone, telling him about the fire and wanting to talk. She was grateful that he had moved all of his belongings out of the house, so they didn't have a fight about that. It was bad enough she felt guilty about what had happened to their place, but the guilt trip that Fritz would no doubt have thrown at her about her lover's ex was more than she could handle. As she lay down on her hotel bed, she had never felt more alone. Fritz was too busy in DC, Will was trying to help a grieving Sharon, and Andy was avoiding her.

She had got out of hospital on the Sunday after the fire, and when she had come back to visit Andy they weren't allowing any visitors. He was undergoing the skin grafts, and was in intensive care. She came in every day, and called his mobile to see if he would pick up. But nothing. Her entire life was gone - her marriage, her home and now when she needed Andy most of all she couldn't see him.

Today was Stephen's funeral. As Brenda looked out of her hotel she could see kids jumping in the pool, could see people acting like nothing was going wrong. She supposed they were right, but for her things seemed so empty. She hadn't known Stephen very long, not compared to the likes of Sharon and the rest of Internal Affairs. But what she had seen was a man who cared, a man who she had had fun with usurping Julian Brody in the race for Chief. Now she was trying to solve his murder, and they had no leads. No one seemed to want Stephen that dead, and even the mythical last case he was working on they had no trace of.

Wearing a black dress with a red scarf in her hair, Brenda decided to head to the hospital to see Andy. She needed a friendly face, and Andy was always that to her, if not more. She just needed to talk to him, to see his smile to make everything that they had endured was worth it.

"Hi, can I see Andy Flynn please?" She asked the nurse at the front desk. Despite the hot sun, Brenda had felt cold walking outside. She gathered the thin LAPD windbreaker she wore around her shoulders, her only jacket left in the world.

"I'm sorry, Ms Johnson, but Andy Flynn discharged himself this morning," the nurse announced. She saw Brenda's badge on her hip. "I can give you the address he said he was going to, if you'd like that.

"Thank you."

Taking a taxi, she found the address where Flynn was staying. It was a hotel on the opposite side of downtown from her. It looked nice, but she felt sadness welling up for him. He hadn't had a home in so long, and had just started to create one with her when it had been burnt down. Her heart skipped with joy as she walked up the steps of the hotel and went inside the elevator, trying to get to Flynn's floor. He was still injured, but she just needed to see him, see his smile and she knew she could get through today.

Finding the right room, she knocked on the door. She waited patiently until the door opened up to reveal Flynn. He looked at her with alarm, and immediately backpedalled behind the door. She had caught a glimpse of his injuries, his arm was back in a new cast, his other wrapped in a heavy bandage.

"Chief, what are you doing here?"

So it was back to Chief. Was he going to forget about this summer, about them sharing their feelings and making love and moving in to her house together? "Andy, I want to see you. I came every day to the hospital, just to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah the doctors said."

Brenda nodded, pushing her hand through the gap in the door. She needed him to know that she was there for him, that she loved him and wanted to start things over with him. She needed to get through the door.

"I called…listen, maybe you can come over to my hotel tonight? I've got room service…we could talk about things. Are you coming to Stephen's funeral today?"

"No."

"I could pick you up once it's over, we could talk."

There was some shuffling from the room and Brenda could see he wanted to close the door. She removed her hand, cold from where it had not been touched. Andy closed the door a crack before whispering to her.

"I'm sorry, Brenda."

As the door closed and was locked, Brenda didn't know what Andy was sorry for. But she couldn't miss the sound of weeping that came from the room as she stood there, wavering in the hall.

X

No one would never have thought that Internal Affairs was hated by the turn out at Stephen Mitchell's funeral. Will and Sharon parked up the car, and Tommy and Sharon helped him use his crutches to make it to the graveside. Stephen's family had asked for an outside service, and the sun shone down for it.

A line of officers stood in uniforms to the side, those that were there out of respect. Will looked up and saw that Julian Brody was present, his uniform buttons polished. He nodded at Will when he saw him staring, and Will wondered not for the first time whether he should have told Sharon about his thoughts about Stephen's investigation. Maybe another time.

The whole of Internal Affairs had congregated for the funeral, a parade of red and black standing out. Sharon squeezed his hand and went over to join Ian, Eddie and Michael, who all wore black suits with red ties. They held onto her, helped her to stand at the grave of their friend and mentor. Stephen's family looked over the grave, but Will could see that neither of his daughters had come to see their father buried.

"Chief," a southern voice greeted from behind him. Brenda looked good for someone who had nearly been burnt alive a week before. She had got the memo about wearing red, as had Taylor and the rest of Major Crimes and Robbery Homicide who stood over the graveside as a mark of respect for a great man.

"Flynn isn't here," Will stated, looking at the line of officers of Internal Affairs. Even his son, wearing a red shirt underneath his suit, stood with Sharon and the rest of FID. He wasn't with Major Crimes either.

"He isn't coming."

Will reached over and held Brenda's hand as the minister performed the service. He could see Sharon's chest rise and fall with tears, and was glad that the three Captains of Internal Affairs were there to see her through it. His gaze shifted from Sharon to once again look at Brody, who couldn't keep his eyes off of the casket.

He didn't know what to do, so he wrapped an arm around Brenda, keeping her steady. Something had happened with Flynn, and she needed a friend. He had thought about offering to let Brenda stay with them for a few days until she found a new place, but didn't know how she and Sharon would get on in a small enclosed area. He would be there for Brenda like she had been there for him in the summer, anyway he could. He didn't want to lose anymore family.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

At the end of the service, Stephen's widow was given the flag that had been draped over the coffin. It was the Los Angeles flag, and she took it sadly. Another relative brought her away from the coffin to comfort her, but she didn't miss the ceremony that Internal Affairs gave. Two detectives produced a few bouquets and each officer of IA placed a white rose on the coffin. The four heads of department placed a pink rose on top, and held onto each other as they watched it be lowered into the ground. Internal Affairs was the closest department in the LAPD, they needed to be. When one of them died, it was heartbreaking.

As the ceremony concluded, and the mass of people began to disperse, Sharon found Will and held on tight. "Take me home," she whispered, and he did without question. They walked away from the scene, still in a state of shock. It seemed unnatural, that they were burying a friend, especially Stephen. Their grief seemed like a bad joke poured on them by an uncaring world.

Brenda stood at the grave, watching as they started to put dirt on top of what used to be Stephen Mitchell. She knew she should leave, should stop staring transfixed at what was going on, but she had nowhere else to be.

X

His father had said he could take the day off, but he needed to go into college. He had attended his first police funeral yesterday, had sat amongst the honour and tradition of the LAPD and watched as they buried one of their own. Once again he was having doubts about his life, and needed to get out of the house and away from an understandably grief stricken Sharon.

"Pope!"

Tommy turned around to where someone was shouting his name, and grimaced as he saw Jacob coming towards him. He could walk away, the image of Mina fresh in his mind. Mina's parents and her grandfather had wanted to press charges but as Mina pointed out, Jacob had already been given his cosmic justice by Tommy stabbing him in the shoulder. Tommy would get into trouble if they brought it up, so they had done nothing, much to Otto's sadness. Tommy decided to ride out what Jacob wanted, and punch him in the face if it came to that.

"On your own today, Weaver? Thought you always came with an entourage."

He tried to sound spiteful, but it didn't come off. This crap meant nothing, not really. Not when it was compared to what his parents had been through in the last few months.

Jacob shrugged at him. "None of them wanted to get involved with what happened - they called an ambulance, tore down the set up and told me to fuck off. Haven't seen any of them since."

"Well at least they have a brain between them," Tommy snorted. "If you want to beat me up, Weaver, go right ahead. But I think I made my point with that freaking knife you pressed into my hand. I am sorry, Jacob, I can't say anymore."

Tommy shook his head and continued to move through the grounds of UCLA, trying to be by himself. He had two missed calls from Charlie, and a text from Mina. He should have left, but his mother had asked him not to drop out again. She had told him to keep going. So he had, even though the stares had increased. He felt pressure on his arm as he continued walking and looked up to see that Jacob had followed him. He looked devastated, and Tommy couldn't handle that expression, not anymore.

"I miss her, Pope. I miss my sister." Tommy looked up to see that Jacob was crying. "She was everything; she was my damn best friend. And you know what is even worse? I miss Hanson. He was my mentor, _he_ was my friend. I wanted to be him, ever since I met him; I wanted to live up to him. I don't know how I can go on; no one seems to understand what I've lost, or how much I hate myself."

Tommy hesitated for a moment, before he reached over and put a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "I stood there in front of Mina, and for a moment I considered it. Because for a moment I forgot everything that had happened, and all I remembered was the only teacher who truly believed in me. Then I remembered my father, who always has, and has never killed any teenage girls."

Jacob nodded, and smiled. "I'm going to a counsellor, now, trying to get better. It's hard, every time I crack open a text book, I think of him. I want to create some new memories of UCLA." He reached out for Tommy's hand, and they shook. A truce. "If you ever need anything, Tommy, then just ask. I'll email you my phone number, or something. You were right, about not wanting to turn into a monster. I'm glad you didn't go through with it, as that was what I would have become."

Weaver walked away, and Tommy looked on his departing form with sadness. People dealt with grief in different ways, some people blamed the world, some lived in a state of denial. Danny was waiting for him just outside the campus, and he relayed the story of Weaver before they went to lunch. Maybe freshman year wouldn't be so bad. He just hoped there were no more serial killers on staff.

X

She was in Stephen's office. She knew she should be at home, resting in bed, but she had come in to pack up the last of Stephen's things. All the case files and paperwork had already gone to the Internal Affairs conference room next door, so it was just the personal things he had.

There was a huge photograph of Stephen with his wife and his two daughters. She had met them a few times, they were so proud of what their father was doing. There was a smaller photograph of his eldest graduating from Yale, and another photograph of his other daughter wining some art prize. Tucked behind the family photographs was something smaller. Sharon almost thought it was her baby girl before she realised that the dates were different.

"Mal, due end of October," Sharon read aloud, and remembered that Stephen's daughter was pregnant. She hadn't seen her at the funeral, but if she was pregnant she may not have been able to cope with the stress. Her heart fell as she realised that Stephen had just missed out on seeing his grandson being born.

"Hey kid," Eddie opened the door to see Sharon sitting at the desk. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

Sharon shook her head as she turned back to the photographs and what else was on his desk. There was a larger image of the one in his pocket, of the four of them standing shoulder to shoulder. Sharon smiled weakly as she realised all of them had something red on, as was the IA tradition. Eddie patted her on the shoulder, and groaned when he saw the ultrasound.

"He'd been muttering on about Clara and Mal for ages…Clara's husband died in Afghanistan last year, she's all on her own. I didn't see her at the funeral, I didn't see Beth either."

Sharon didn't say anything, just looked through his desk drawers. There was a box with her, and she started packing up the photographs that covered his desk. "We should get these to his widow. I'm not sure that she'll want this one of us, I'll bring it but…I'd like to keep it, it's a beautiful picture. Finally a photograph where you and Michael aren't beating each other up."

Eddie snorted, and she looked over to see the brash man that had always seemed so strong, had always seemed hard as nails, crying. His face was raw, his fingers gripping onto the desk drawer. Sharon reached over and clung to him. Eddie stroked the back of her head as they both cried.

After they had wept for as long as they felt they could, Sharon moved to sit on the desk. Eddie opened the drawers and started pulling pieces of paper out, little trinkets. Sharon sighed. "You know the day he died? We were in the memorial garden, and he was telling me how he worried about all of us, how he always thought one of us was going to get killed."

Eddie agreed. "We all thought it would be you first, Sharon. No offence, but you have no concept of personal danger."

"Says the man who refuses to go out with a vest."

Ian knocked on the door and joined them. Michael came in next, the four heads of Internal Affairs frozen in their grief. They looked at the photographs that Stephen had kept, the ultrasound, the remains of Stephen's files. Ian rested a hand on Sharon's, not sure whether she should be there or not. But they needed to do this, needed to do this as a family.

"I know no one wants to talk about this, but we do need a new Head of Internal Affairs," Michael stated. He felt three pairs of eyes on him, but he wouldn't back down. "Did Stephen tell any of you who he wanted to replace him?"

Sharon thought back to her conversation with Stephen the morning that he had died, thought back to his announcement that he wanted her to take over the reins. She shook her head and continued on packing up the boxes, not realising that all three of the boys were staring at her.

"What?"

"Stephen wanted you, didn't he?" Ian asked, but Sharon shook her head so much her head spun.

"It doesn't matter what he wanted, I'm not taking the job. It's too soon, he's barely been in the ground a day and you're asking me to take his job? No, I won't do it."

Sharon shoved another photograph in the box, gripping onto the cardboard. She wished the boys would stop staring at her, would stop looking at her the way they had always looked at Stephen, like she was a guiding light to keep them on the right path. But as she matched their stares, she realised they had always looked at her like that.

"It's too soon," she whispered.

Eddie shook his head and put an arm around her. "We need a leader, Sharon. Stephen wanted you, he always wanted you. You took over FID from him; it was going to be natural that you'd be in charge of Internal Affairs."

Ian smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe we should close the case on Stephen before we appoint a new head. See if Major Crimes can get to the bottom of his murder, and then appoint someone new. I mean, technically you're on maternity leave until she's born, so we don't have to appoint anyone new until you get back."

The boys nodded, and Sharon felt a little better. She had a while before Andie was born, and in that time she could persuade Ian to take her place, to look after Internal Affairs. She couldn't be a Deputy Chief, not like this. She had wanted to one day have a role like this, but not when it was replacing her murdered mentor.

"You know Stephen was working on a big case?" Michael started and the group mumbled, more focussed on making sure Sharon was okay. "Well I've just found the case file. Stephen was investigating Julian Brody on charges of corruption, drug smuggling, tons of felonies…including helping the escape of a man in custody."

Sharon's head shot up. "Jake Webster."

Michael nodded and passed her the file. There were notes, pictures of Brody and indeed of Webster. At the back of the file there was a newspaper article about her rape and departure from the LAPD. The picture of her was large, solemn.

"Stephen said he had to wrap up a case and then he was going to see Will and get the Assistant Chief job," Sharon looked at the folder. "Gentlemen, I think this is enough probable cause to get a search warrant and arrest Julian Brody."

The boys looked at her with a glint in their eye. Eddie smacked his hand down on the table, resting one hand on his gun. "Yes ma'am. I'll go inform Major Crimes, and if it's okay with Chief Johnson, I think we'd like to make the arrest ourselves."

"I have no problem with that," Sharon looked over the file again, moving from the desk to sit in Stephen's chair. She ran her hands over the article, the guilt welling up inside her, the anger about what had happened to Stephen rising. "If there is, tell her to come talk to the head of Internal Affairs."

Ian, Michael and Eddie left the office with renewed enthusiasm, something she couldn't muster. She looked at the folder, looked at its contents but held back the tears. It wasn't the time for grief; it was the time for justice.

X

He was spinning a toothpick in his hand, not sure what else to do. He regretted not going to the funeral yesterday, regretted leaving things how he did with Brenda. But he couldn't do anything else; he just needed to be away from her. He kept looking at himself in the mirror, at his scars and his injuries and wondered why she was even interested.

He had had his sponsor come in to the hospital to see him, to help him through things. He was planning to go to a meeting every day and keep his blood clean of everything. The only reason Andy Flynn was coming in today was to see the team, to see Sharon. He was still technically on sick leave until the bandages came off from both his injuries.

"Andy?"

He looked around, and realised that he had made a bad choice in coming into work. Brenda was standing at one end of the hallway, wearing black. She looked good, amazing, and Andy would give anything in that moment to be able to hold her and to kiss her. Just lose himself in her like he had done before. But it felt wrong, now, and he just needed her to keep away, for her to get back with Fritz and have a happy ever after with her husband. She deserved better than him.

She ran up to him and although he tried to walk in the opposite direction and lose himself in the corridors of the LAPD, she caught up to him quickly enough. She bit her lip as she approached him, looking over him with a gulp in her throat.

"You look good," she whispered and he laughed in contention, knowing that was anything but the truth.

"I look like shit. But I appreciate the lie."

She took a step forward and he took a step back. She continued to take a step forward and he moved backwards until they were in a deserted corridor of the LAPD and his back was up against the wall. She ran her hand down one side of his face, tracing over the lines, the scar on his chin.

"Look at me, Andy Flynn."

She tucked her hands around his waist, moving her hands up from the bottom of his shirt and pressing her hands against his skin. He hummed as she stroked the breadth of his back. He wanted her so badly, but his guilt was overwhelming. Although she had absolved him of everything Lana did, he still felt like he had caused the pain in her life. He could barely move his hand, but he managed to break one of hers away from his skin.

"Brenda, it's over, okay? It's just…over. Leave me alone. Please."

She moved her hand back over him, pushing towards him. He stammered, he didn't mean it. Did he know how much he had changed her life, how much she wanted him to do it all over again? If her marriage could be torn apart so easily, it wasn't worth having. All she wanted was Andy.

"You're breaking up with me? What, I'm not good in bed compared to some twenty year old arsonist?" she tried to joke, but it didn't work.

He broke their contact, and Brenda realised that Lana had got what she had wanted - the fire was going to break them apart. He waved his hand and pointed at her. "I'm too old for you. I'm broken in to a million pieces, and I can't give you what you need. I'm a drunk."

"So was Fritz! You think that matters, Andy? No, what matters is you want to protect me by pushing me away. We're not Will and Sharon; we haven't got any psycho ex husbands waiting in the wings to show up again. Lana is gone, Fritz doesn't care. The only thing that is standing in the way of us is us!"

Andy shook his head, leaning against the wall. "Fritz was right, what he said."

"I think you're wrong already, but I'm listening. What did Fritz say?"

He laughed at her words before catching himself. "I'm too old for you, I'm so injured I don't know how long it's going to be before I'm back to normal. I may never be as strong as I was before. It kills me when you're out late on a case and I'm not, because I want to be with you all the time. I want to work with you and love you and I can't." He sighed, looking up at her with a slight smile. "You know when we first met I hated you, because I knew if I didn't then I'd fall in love with you. I tried to stop myself, knew it would change everything but I couldn't."

Brenda's eyes shined and he smiled back at her. He reached over and ran his fingers over her cheek. "I don't want to wrap you in cotton wool; I love that you take risks but I want to be there by your side, in case any scumbags decide to mess with you. This was a mistake, we were a mistake. It's ruined everything good we ever had, and now we can't ever go back."

He brushed past Brenda, deciding to go home. He couldn't look at her face, and he knew if he didn't move quickly she would either yell at him or kiss him so hard he'd change his mind. He couldn't handle either.

X

Will was signing the last few sheets of paper when the door to his office opened. He was still in his old office, not having made the transition upwards. By next week he would be in his new office, with new photographs on his desk, old books lining the walls. But first, he had some loose ends to tie up.

"Mr Carpenter, sit down."

Wes sat in front of Will, who was looking upon the scene with interest. Will coughed, signed the last sheet and had his assistant take them away. He pushed back in his chair, looking at Wes. He had called Andrew to get his file, which had made for some interesting bedtime reading.

"Got your file. The real one," Will flipped through the pages in front of him. "Interesting work. Also got Brenda's file while I was at it, Andrew owes me a very big favour. You two worked together quite a lot, you two seem to work well together."

"Well we were friends once upon a time, that helps."

Will nodded, and put the file down on the desk. He looked up and down Wes, and saw a desperate man behind his thin veil of disregard. Will wasn't sure whether his applying for the job was a way to get to Brenda, or something of a new start for him. Will had called in another favour from DC and looked at the crime scene photographs of the massacre previously known as his family home. He could understand the need to protect, to defend, to avenge. He could see a man who was looking for a way to forget that he hadn't been able to achieve for the past fifteen years.

"I need someone who I can trust in this job, I do. I need an Assistant Chief who I can call up at any time; I need an Assistant Chief who cares about the LAPD and its officers enough to devote themselves to it. I need a friend, I need someone who I can trust to have my back and not stick a knife through it."

Wes nodded. Will put Brenda's file on top of his.

"That man was Stephen Mitchell, but unless the new head of Internal Affairs is also a necromancer, I doubt that is going to happen. Plenty of people have applied for the job, tons. I've had people from New York, Chicago, DC, San Francisco, Dallas…everyone wants this job; it's a huge step up. I've had about six applications from the LAPD alone."

"But you're offering me the job," Wes tested the waters and felt a rush of happiness when Will nodded his head. "Thank you…thank you." The sincerity in his voice was real, Will could tell that much.

He moved over to shake the man's hand. Wes pumped it enthusiastically, and Will grinned at seeing a hook pull the darkness out of the man's eyes. "I'll put through the paperwork; you'll have to go to the Academy to make sure you know all the rules and regulations we have as part of the LAPD as you're obviously not coming from another police department. But I'm sure you'll do fine, Wes, and I'm looking forward to having you on board."

"Thank you sir. I know I don't have any experience as a member of the LAPD, but I do have other, valued experience. CIA rejects, we are the best."

Will nodded, and gripped Wes' hand tighter, bringing him into a vice grip. Wes grimaced at the pain. "When I mean rules and regulations for you, I mean this. You lay a hand on Brenda, I will hurt you. Your little vendetta with her and the CIA stops now, if you join the LAPD. Leave it all behind. And if I ever get so much as a hint that you are using your previous agency experience to deal with the bad guys of Los Angeles, my fiancée will fuck you up. We clear, Carpenter?"

He released Wes, who rubbed his wrist. He looked up to Will, who was smiling. Wes nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Suddenly I am looking forward to this job a whole lot more."

Will showed him out, pressing a hand to his shoulder as he left. He sat back at his desk and hoped he wasn't making a mistake. In the paperwork he had gathered on Wes Carpenter, there was one thing that had stuck out. He too had gone into a burning building to save Brenda. Despite whatever else, he had done that.

X

When Gabriel had told her about the arrest, Brenda had shaken herself out of her funk and had immediately rushed to where Brody was being kept. She had dashed across to the Internal Affairs corridor, draped in black and found their interview rooms. She pushed open the door and looked at the monitors. Assistant Chief Julian Brody was sitting there, not a scratch on him.

"I got told you were beating him up!"

The only occupant, Sharon Raydor, snorted. "Not yet. We need you to get a confession out of him, Chief. We can't do it; we're too close to the case. Whatever slime ball lawyer Brody would get would throw it out within seconds." She looked up at the blonde Deputy Chief. "I need you to do this for me, Brenda, please."

Brenda looked at the woman in front of her. They had been enemies ever since they had met, hating each other and the way they worked. But over this summer, Brenda had got to know Sharon by how Will saw her, by how her team reacted to her presence. The pregnant brunette walked forward and reached for the Chief's hand.

"Have you ever had someone that taught you everything you knew? That believed not the best in you, but believed the best you could be? When I started working for Stephen Mitchell, I was angry, I was upset, I pissed off everyone. I was like Claudia, I needed grounding, I needed someone who could take what I was, what I could be and make me into this. Someone who believed in what we were doing. And now he's dead, and I think Brody is responsible and it kills me that everything I have fought for could get ruined by one man. Please, Brenda." She was crying. "Do this here, do this for us."

Brenda nodded and Sharon handed her the notes and she looked them over. She could do this; she could work with Brody and get him to confess. This was what she was here for; this was what the CIA trained her for. Brody had taken away Stephen Mitchell, a man who still had so much to give. A man who was adored by everyone who worked for him. A man who would have been their Assistant Chief.

Sharon smiled at her as she left the office, going outside.

"Chief Brody," Brenda greeted as she opened the door to the Internal Affairs interview rooms and turned towards the Chief. She hated this man more and more by the second. "Do you know why you're here?"

"No idea, those lovely Internal Affairs boys threatened to bring me down in handcuffs - I thought it best just to come along and see what all the fuss was about."

Brenda smiled, deciding to get on with it. "Chief Brody, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you wave your rights?"

Brody started to laugh. "Fine, fine I wave my rights. Just get this over with, Chief Johnson, so you can get back to sucking Pope."

Brenda ignored his words and looked over the sheets of paper in front of her. The notes were extensive; Stephen had certainly done his research into getting Brody sent down for the crimes he had committed. The newspaper article at the end, detailing Sharon's rape and departure from the LAPD, struck a chord with her.

If Julian Brody had never organised Jake Webster's escape, then maybe Jimmy Beattie would have never raped her. Will wouldn't have been a wreck over the summer, she might still be pregnant, Andy wouldn't have left and met Lana. They could have handled the UCLA Killer as a better unit. The _hell _that they had lived through for the past six months…all of it was because of Julian Brody.

"I don't 'suck' on Chief Pope's anything. I think Commander Raydor has that job now."

Brody laughed. "Yes, I think she does. Ironic, really, isn't it? Little Miss Rules fucking her commanding officer. No one seems to bat an eyelid."

Brenda smiled as she shuffled her papers. "Well, I'm sure someone minds. You know, I got told today that Commander Raydor is going to be the new head of Internal Affairs. A Deputy Chief. I tell you, whoever bumped off Stephen Mitchell did Pope and Raydor a big favour - he didn't have to fire him to put his pillow partner in the position."

Brody's face had grown pale. "She's going to be a Deputy Chief?"

"I know! All the grief people gave me after I came here. I earned my right to be here, all she did was get down on her little two knees," Brenda snarled. "I was starting to like Raydor, but this - this is so damn hypocritical I don't think I can overlook it."

Brody nodded and they both laughed, although Sharon could tell from the surveillance room that Brenda's was put on. Still, it made her shake, and Ian, who had come to watch, wrapped an arm around her to keep her still. This was for the greater good; they needed to get this confession.

Brody had somehow found a kindred spirit after all, and wanted to share his thoughts. "You know, I always wondered whether they were using each other. Raydor was sleeping with Pope to get a higher rank, and he was fucking a rape victim so he could get Chief of Police."

"I think you might be right. Quite a little 'first' couple, aren't they?" Brenda snorted. "You know, I do feel sorry for Mitchell, believing all this crap about them. I got taken in, with tales of how much they loved each other but I know Will, and love is something he just doesn't get. You know, Stephen was investigating you. Well, he told one of his detectives that he was coming over to talk to you."

Brody's eyes blinked furiously and he tried to get ahead of the conversation, remembering that he was still being interviewed. "Oh, god, yes! He came over to my house on Friday night, yelling and shouting about how I was corrupt and how he was going to throw me in jail. He was insane, probably got stabbed tottering home. He smelled like alcohol."

Brenda nodded, and pulled out the crime scene photographs of Stephen Mitchell. Brody didn't balk at the sight of them - his second mistake. His first had been to go to Mitchell's funeral where his family was mourning. Brody looked once more at them, and realised that he was being played. Despite their past, his actions had only made the FID and Major Crimes stronger this summer.

"I didn't kill Stephen Mitchell."

Brenda scoffed, tucking all the photographs away. "You did. You killed him because he presented you with this. Charges of corruption, of selling drugs, of avoiding LAPD protocol when it came to Force Investigations. Even got a statement from Jake Webster saying you helped in his escape. Now, who am I going to believe? The evidence of Stephen Mitchell or your lying face?"

Brody laughed, banging his hands against the table in protest. "She's just a slut! This little insignificant bug that has friends in high places who thinks just because her daddy put a bullet in his brain that she deserves to police _us. _We don't get paid a lot, we put our lives on the line and we deserve a little respect. But not from her, not from that little slut throwing herself at Pope."

"She turn you down Brody? That why you pushed Jake Webster into escaping? That why you stabbed Stephen Mitchell three times?"

Brody looked like he was going to say something, but Brenda put down a photograph in the middle of the table. "That is a picture of Stephen's grandson. He will never get to know his grandfather, and that is a crime that should have you locked away all on its own."

Brody's shoulders slumped, realising that the evidence was stacked high against him. He turned to Brenda, hoping that Sharon was watching what was going on. "I don't regret it, Chief Johnson. I don't regret stabbing him. Because at the end of the day, I can go to jail, I can die there. But Sharon Raydor can sit on her high horse and know that the reason Mitchell is dead is because he was investigating on behalf of her. She killed him, not me."

Brenda opened the interview room door to let Gabriel and Sanchez drag Brody out of the room. In the corridor stood every IA officer, Claudia and Simon at the end. The look on Brody's face was fear, but no one down that corridor would harm him. He did not deserve the effort.

"Brody."

He turned around and endured a smack in the face from Raydor. He skidded to the floor, blood trickling at the corner of his mouth. She reached over for another hit, but Brenda pulled her back. Gabriel and Sanchez escorted him away, and Sharon broke down in tears. The blonde held onto her best she could.

"You should have let me hurt him."

"While I appreciate the irony, Sharon, you shouldn't lose yourself over him." She found it hard to support the brunette, but she clung on all the same. Eventually Sharon pulled back, tucking her arms around herself. "Stephen wouldn't want that."

Sharon nodded, leaning against the wall. Michael, Eddie and Ian joined her outside the interview room, watching as he was led away. They had caught him, but it didn't make the loss any easier to bear.

_Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey._

_Lord Byron_

She was pacing the psychiatrist's office, waiting for Doctor Leonard to appear. Waiting for Will to appear. She knew she was breaking two of the rules they had set for herself so she would have a healthy last trimester - but they had just arrested Julian Brody for the death of her friend, her mentor, and being stressed and being there were things they were just going to have to deal with.

The door to the office opened, and in stepped Will. He looked a little pale, looked a little guilty. But unless he had stabbed Stephen Mitchell and helped Julian Brody roll him out into the middle of nowhere, then he had nothing to be guilty about. But, still, the look was there and she didn't know why. Doctor Leonard was running a little late, stuck in traffic, so their session would be pushed back half an hour or so. It didn't matter at that moment - Sharon wanted to know why Will was feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry about Stephen. I'm sorry about Brody."

"Thank you, Will." She crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to look at him. Something felt very wrong, and she didn't want anything to be wrong with her and Will. It wasn't right. "What did you do? What did you know?" She came out with it, not wanting to deal with petty small talk, even if she loved the man. She was fragile, and all she wanted was for him to hold her, not confess to conspiracy.

"I knew Stephen was investigating Brody, well, I suspected. But I didn't think Brody was capable of this - this is murder, all the other charges are…he'll go down for years, Sharon, he'll never get out of jail. The DA will see to that."

She sat down in one of the seats that they used for therapy, and looked at the man she loved. "Did you know he was investigating on behalf of me?"

"I suspected."

Sharon started to cry. Will immediately went by her side, trying to comfort her but she pushed his arms away. She backed away to the window, not wanting to look at him. "How am I supposed to go see his family? To even talk to them, offer my condolences, when I'm the reason he's dead? How the hell am I supposed to look his grandson in the eye, knowing that I'm the reason he doesn't have a grandfather?"

Will shook his head, rubbing his hands desperately over his face. "Stephen considered you a daughter, he considered all four of you his kids; you were so close. He would have died for any one of you. Sharon, Brody stabbed him. Brody stuck a knife in his gut and dumped him. You didn't ask for Stephen to investigate, you didn't ask Stephen to look after his own. You know, in your heart, that you would do the same for your team, because they're family."

Sharon nodded, still upset with the day's events. "Brenda was provoking him and Brody was saying all these things…about me sleeping with you to be a Deputy Chief, that you are with me because dating a rape victim makes you look good to the Mayor."

Will hobbled over and reached for her hand. It was a little raw from where she had punched Brody. He kissed her knuckles, kissed the engagement ring on her finger. "Brody is a bastard, a sociopath. He doesn't know us. We'll get through this, I promise you."

"I'm just tired of losing people I love, Will. People keep leaving me, or I keep leaving them."

He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I will never leave you. I will always be by your side. I would say till death do us part, but even then we'll be together."

The door opened behind them and Doctor Leonard came through. "Sorry I'm late, Chief, Commander. I hear it's been an eventful day. How about we sit down and talk about it all?"

Will gestured for Sharon to go in front of him as they sat down, and he held her hand as they turned to Doctor Leonard. He hoped these sessions were helping, and not making her miserable. They were helping him understand her and hopefully helping her understand him a little better. Sharon started filling them in about what had happened with Brody that day, Doctor Leonard listening intently.

She made one note during her session with the engaged couple - never did they stop holding hands.

X

She didn't want to go back to her hotel room alone, she didn't want to just sit there and think about what might have been. Brenda had been running through scenarios of what her life could have been like had Julian Brody not interfered, and she realised it didn't matter what could have happened, it had, and she needed to get back the life she wanted, which was with Andy Flynn. Brenda knocked on his hotel door, waiting to talk to him. Whether he wanted to talk to her was another matter entirely, but she needed to.

The door eventually opened, and Andy realised it was her. "Don't close the door."

"There's nothing more to say, Chief."

He moved to close the door, and Brenda smacked it with her hand, immediately pain ricocheting through her skin. "I just had to arrest Julian Brody for Stephen's murder. I just had to stop Sharon from smacking him down like the hand of God. I also had to hold her hair back while she threw up. Please, don't close the door."

The irony of the similar words from a similar woman made him open the door, pain written all over his face. The summer had begun with a woman asking him to open the door, to let his life back in. He realised he didn't want to close it.

"She okay?"

"She's fine."

Brenda stuck her foot in between it and forced herself into the room. He shook his head and went to lie down on his bed. Brenda looked around the room, at how Spartan it was. He had no belongings anymore, all of it was gone. Everything except the people he loved, who he was trying to push away.

"You know I was trained by the CIA to interview people. Well, actually, I worked for the Agency for seven years. I tortured people for a living."

Shock ran over his face, but he didn't shrink back in horror, just kept looking at her. She brushed a blonde strand behind her ear and walked over to where Andy was laying and knelt down beside him. He didn't move, for which she was grateful. "I understand pain, Andy. I've seen people's heads in water for hours; I've seen people shocked until they give a right answer. I've broken people with a few words. I get pain; I'm hurting as well, Andy. People keep slipping out of my fingers and I don't like it."

"Stroh."

Brenda sighed. "He'll always be on my back, like Hanson was for you. One day, I hope, he'll come back and I'll get to deal with him all over again. I need you, by my side, Andy. I'll drag you out of this hotel room, tie our hands together…" She kept saying the wrong things, and she knew it. "You said we were a mistake, and I understand you thinking that because we worked so well together and it was natural that we'd fall in love. I always knew I'd fall in love with you, somehow I knew."

Flynn used his better hand to bring her lips down for a bruising kiss. They kissed until their lips hurt; their necks ached, until all they could think about was skin on skin contact. Eventually they broke apart, and Andy looked at her in sorrow.

"I love you, Brenda. Honest to god, I love you."

Brenda moved between his legs and rested her body against his chest. She was still wearing his ring around her neck on a chain, and he fiddled with the weight of the silver. Andy rested a battered arm loosely around her waist, enjoying how she felt against him. He kissed her forehead, wondering where they would go from there. He thought for a moment before he looked down to see that Brenda had fallen asleep in his arms. A tear dripped down onto her hair.

"We could never be a mistake."

X

"It has been a very emotional year, hell; it's been a very emotional month," Will Pope began as he addressed the gathering of officers in front of the new building. "But it is my duty as Chief of Police to make sure we get through this the best that we can, and grow stronger in the process."

It wasn't so much a press conference, although there were cameras gathered to hear the speech that Will was presenting. Everyone was dressed in their uniform, civilian staff dressed in suits. Will was wearing his uniform, the four stars gleaming on his collar. Behind him was Wes Carpenter, wearing his own uniform and three stars. He looked a little uncomfortable, but Sharon noted that he had Will's back as he gazed the crowd. She was happy that Wes had taken the job; after all he had saved her life. But it hit her hard that it wasn't Stephen standing there.

The first row of people was the remaining Assistant Chief's and Deputy Chiefs. Brenda was standing there, hair coiled into a bun with her uniform pressed. Taylor was standing with them, representing Robbery/Homicide, as had been Will's wish. He was standing next to her, resisting the urge to reach for her hand to make sure she was steady. She didn't want to be there herself; she was still pregnant and not as strong as she should be. But she knew that despite everything she needed to be there for Internal Affairs, and they appreciated what she represented. She was wearing what she had worn to Stephen's funeral, with her Commander star clipped to her cardigan - she knew that Will's eyes turned to her most of all, making sure she was okay.

"We have lost an amazing man. No one could ever replace Stephen Mitchell, and no one would ever try. He is survived by the incredible Internal Affairs department we have here, the strongest in the country. I am extremely proud of the dedication, and the resilience of the men and women of Internal Affairs, who have been struck with many blows over the course of this year."

She turned around to see her four boys: Andy, Michael, Ian and Eddie. With the rest of Internal Affairs, they were wearing their uniforms with black and red armbands. They would do so until a new department head would officially go into effect, although Sharon was unsure whether she would ever stop wearing her colours.

Andy couldn't stop looking at Brenda, and Claudia had mentioned to her that he was thinking of transferring back to Major Crimes. She didn't know how their relationship was, although both seemed preoccupied with other things than Will's speech. No doubt Sharon would find out soon enough.

Taylor joined in where she was looking, and saw that Major Crimes and FID were standing together, looking at the officers assembled with a smile. Even Ross was standing with them, which made Taylor grin. Although they were missing Stephen, everyone was where they were supposed to be.

"As your Chief, I am going to try and make this transition period as swift, and as painless as possible. I have amazing respect for our previous Chief, Wendell Berrill. I shall continue on his legacy, I shall try and make this department stronger, and the police department that this city deserves. With our new Assistant Chief Wes Carpenter, we will renew our efforts; renew our relationships within the department, and come together to better serve this city."

Brody was in prison, his guilty plea throwing death penalty out the window, but he had no chance of parole. Sam had once again disappeared after he had been released the night of the fire. Lana's death was classed accidental, although there was a thought abroad in the department that their new Assistant Chief may have had something to do with it. Brenda was working harder than ever, still living out of a hotel and avoiding Carpenter the best she could. All the Internal Affairs paperwork was delivered to their house, and her four Captains came over for meetings unbeknownst to Will.

"It has been a tough road, and it will continue to be a tough road ahead. But the thin blue line outside this door is unbreakable, and that is what we need to remember, in the face of all adversity that comes our way. We are together, united by our love for this job, our love of each other, and our love of this city that we have pledged our lives to protect. Thank you very much, and God speed."

As Will came down from the podium, followed by Wes, he smiled at Sharon. She smiled back, thinking on his words. They were together, in every sense of the word. They were unbreakable, whatever came their way, and it pleased Sharon that things were finally slotting into place.

"Come on, we're going to O'Malley's," Taylor whispered in her ear as the assembled officers broke rank.

As Taylor led the way, the combined teams of Major Crimes and FID headed for a drink to toast the start of a new beginning, a new era at the LAPD. They were together, the thin blue line no longer hiding but out in front, standing side by side. A force to be reckoned with.

Claudia and Simon joined her as they walked, Tony chatting with Tao about their kids. Brenda and Flynn kept shooting each other glances, trying hard to keep their mind focussed on other things. Sanchez and Gabriel seemed intent on passing on stories to Tommy, who had just arrived. Wes jointed their party, and was talking surveillance equipment with Buzz and Taylor. Sharon waved at Eddie, Michael and Ian, as they went to celebrate with their own departments.

Provenza was watching all of them with interest, the smile on his face disgustingly prominent. He glanced at Flynn just as he once again ducked his gaze from the Chief's, and he shook his head.

"Why are we going to a bar anyway? We've got a member of AA and a pregnant Commander."

"They do soft drinks, knuckle head."

"Oh don't make me start on you Flynn; your Captain badge only makes me want to hit you harder."

The teams laughed, and Claudia and Simon went onwards to pull apart the arguing duo. Sharon stopped as she felt a hand go around her waist and left the two teams head onwards. Will looked at her and shook his head, laughing. Things were different now, too many things had happened. But despite all they had lived through, and the new truce they had built together, some things never changed.

Looking into the love she could see in Will's eyes, she was glad they never did.

_LA Times, 30__th__ October 2010 [page 5]_

_New LAPD Chief Will Pope and his fiancée Commander Sharon Raydor are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, beautiful baby girl Andie Michaela Pope. She was born on the 29__th__ October, weighing 6lbs and 5oz. Her parents and the rest of the LAPD are said to be smitten with the new bundle, who is said to have her father's blue eyes._


End file.
